


Morior Invictus

by fullmetalheart



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Akira Has A Personality, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Humor, New Game Plus, No Persona 5: The Royal Spoilers, OKAY LISTEN, Psychological Trauma, Work In Progress, arguably a little worse, but like that really dry humor that comes from trauma, i really dont apologize for it, that deserves to be its own tag at this point, this is basically every p5 fanfiction trope crammed into one thing, this was first written before p5r was more than a concept, when you die and watch everyone else around you die, you come out with some issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-09
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:15:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 48,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22188475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fullmetalheart/pseuds/fullmetalheart
Summary: But everything was wrong.The uniform felt stiff on his shoulders, as if he had never worn it a day in his life. There was no cat fur covering his pants, and the scratches Morgana had left on the porcelain sink the time Ryuji had shoved him off of it were gone as if they had never existed. The small tin of hair ties that Ann had left in the cabinet was gone. He had used his old red toothbrush this morning; the one that Futaba had dropped in the toilet after he had teased her a bit more than usual. When he had ambled down the stairs, exhausted and his head spinning, Sojiro had met his eyes with the stare of a stranger.Everything was wrong.[INDEFINITE HIATUS]
Relationships: Akechi Goro & Kurusu Akira, Kurusu Akira & Phantom Thieves of Hearts, Kurusu Akira & Sakamoto Ryuji, Kurusu Akira & Sakura Sojiro
Comments: 437
Kudos: 992
Collections: Marigolds Discord Recs, Quality Persona Fics





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This whole thing is dedicated to Sashi, who was more excited for this than anyone else I know. A big thank you to Lee for listening to me ramble on about this for hours. I wouldn't have written as much as I have without you two.
> 
> I have edited and reedited this chapter. I have added paragraphs. I have deleted paragraphs. I have sobbed towards the sky caught in a fit of my indecision. I am now saying "fuck it". It is impossible to create perfect work, because humans are imperfect beings. I know this. That does not mean I like accepting this.
> 
> **See the end notes for trigger warnings.**

Akira stared at himself in the mirror. Gray eyes stared back at him.

That was definitely his face.

He grabbed his cheeks with both hands and pinched – hard. They flared with pain. His eyes watered. This was definitely, totally, one hundred percent real.

Fuck.

He was standing in the cramped bathroom at Leblanc. He had brushed his teeth at this sink hundreds of times, and he was wearing a uniform that he had worn for nearly a year now.

But everything was wrong.

The uniform felt stiff on his shoulders, as if he had never worn it a day in his life. There was no cat fur covering his pants, and the scratches Morgana had left on the porcelain sink the time Ryuji had shoved him off of it were gone as if they had never existed. The small tin of hair ties that Ann had left in the cabinet was gone. He had used his old red toothbrush this morning; the one that Futaba had dropped in the toilet after he had teased her a bit more than usual. When he had ambled down the stairs, exhausted and his head spinning, Sojiro had met his eyes with the stare of a stranger.

Everything was _wrong_.

He checked his phone. The date told him it was April 10th. He checked again. The date didn’t magically change. The MetaNav app was gone.

Fuck.

Akira pressed his hand to his abdomen, and when he pulled it away, he saw-

- _blood, dripping off his fingers, running down the palm of his hand. His knees crumpled. He fell. His teammates screamed his name. A malevolent god laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed-_

“Kid! Hurry the hell up or we’re going to be late!”

His hand was clean, the skin smooth and unblemished. He was even missing the callouses he had earned from weight training with Ryuji. His arms were too thin, his legs were too unsteady. Everything he had worked for was gone.

Akira pressed his other hand to his mouth, trying to resist the wave of nausea that wracked his body.

Fuck.

He inhaled sharply. This was fine. This was totally, completely fine.

“ _Kid!”_ Sojiro snapped, losing his patience.

Akira’s eyes burned. He pressed the heels of his hands against them, breathing deep, until stars burst behind his closed eyelids.

 _I’m going to throw up_.

The bathroom door slammed open.

“Kurusu! Wha-” Sojiro cut off when he saw him.

He wondered how bad he looked, to turn Sojiro’s annoyed expression into one of concern.

“M’fine,” Akira mumbled, desperately hoping that Sojiro wouldn’t see how much his legs were shaking. “Let’s go.”

* * *

Kobayakawa was _alive._

Akira walked into the principal’s office and stared at him as if he had seen a ghost. A disgusting, vaguely egg-shaped ghost, but still a ghost all the same.

The lecture went in one ear and out the other. He barely paid enough attention to nod at all of the appropriate moments. He had heard all of this before anyway. Instead, he stared at Kawakami. He studied the dark circles under her eyes and the lines of irritation tugging her expression into a scowl. He glanced away before she could catch him looking.

He thought of all the friends he had made who no longer knew him, and he felt nausea resurfacing. He bit down on his tongue. The pain kept him from being sick, and maybe quite possibly from losing his mind.

* * *

The traffic was terrible on the way back – the same as last time.

Sojiro growled at the traffic and took his frustration out on Akira – the same as last time.

Akira leaned his head against the window and closed his eyes. The cool glass soothed the headache beginning to form behind his left temple. The way it made his glasses press against his face was annoying, but he didn't take them off. They were a shield, of sorts, and he needed them at the moment.

“Hey! Kid! Pay attention when people are talking to you. Being polite goes a long way in fixing your reputation.”

Akira sighed and sat up, pinching the bridge of his nose. Sojiro watched him, eyes softening a bit.

“Does your head hurt? I don’t have anything that could help with me, but there’s a doctor near Leblanc who sells effective medicine.”

Takemi. Oh hell. He was going to have to endure all of her experiments again. The thought did little to make him feel better.

“Sorry, I’m fine,” he told Sojiro and dropped his hand into his lap. Sojiro frowned at him but didn’t say anything.

Akira’s throat ached and his eyes burned but he looked out the window and stubbornly did not cry. He thought of learning how to make coffee and the warmth of a home and the feeling of family and this was _not_ helping.

“Why did you bother?” The question was out of Akira’s mouth before he even knew what he was thinking. He cursed himself for speaking, for caring, for failing, for losing everyone he loved and everything he had chipped away at himself for.

Sojiro huffed. “I don’t think you’re really in a position to be asking.”

Akira nodded, his throat closing even more.

“But uh, well… I think everyone deserves a second chance. So, don’t mess this up kid.”

The fact that Akira didn’t laugh out loud or start screaming was a testament to his remarkable restraint.

* * *

It was his second first day at Shujin Academy.

He woke to the sound of rain against his window.

Akira took a moment to consider how truly _miserable_ his existence was.

Nice.

_I don’t want to do this._

_Too bad, Kurusu. Life sucks. Get off your ass._

He hauled himself out of his bed with the sheer force of his will. His blanket got caught around his ankles, and he toppled over onto the dusty attic floor. He groaned loudly and stared at the floorboards. He was a Phantom Thief for fuck’s sake – he should be more coordinated than this.

He heard footsteps climb up the stairs and a surprised snort of laughter before it was properly suppressed. Akira cracked open an eye to see Sojiro trying to scowl at him, but his lips were twitching upwards against his will.

“The hell are you doing?” Sojiro asked, voice a combination of exasperation and amusement.

Akira groaned again. “Trying to get up.”

Sojiro raised an eyebrow. “You’re lying on the floor.”

“Emphasis on _trying_.”

Sojiro let out a bark of laughter before shaking his head.

“Hurry up and head downstairs. If you’re ready early enough, I’ll feed you before you leave.”

Akira’s head visibly perked up. Sojiro laughed again before making his way down the stairs.

He nearly burst into tears at his first bite of curry.

* * *

Finding Shujin was easier than the first time he had lived this day. His feet traced familiar pathways they had walked hundreds of times before. He cut through the crowds as deftly as a Tokyo native.

He had forgotten his umbrella again.

Cursing, he ducked under the very same awning he had stood underneath before. A blonde head of hair joined him, mumbling under her breath about the inconveniences of rain. He froze.

Ann.

He had forgotten that this was where they first met.

She reached up and squeezed water from her pigtails. Akira wanted to throw his arms around her and sob into her shoulder. Instead, he offered her the towel he had shoved into the bottom of his bag that morning.

Ann grinned, smile as blinding as her hair.

“Thanks!” she said happily, before accepting the towel from his outstretched hand. A feeling of warmth bloomed in his chest. She wiped her face down and handed the towel back to him, then frowned when she noticed he didn’t have an umbrella.

“You remembered a towel but forgot an umbrella?” she asked.

Akira laughed and shrugged his shoulders.

“Yeah. Pretty stupid of me, huh.”

“I’d say,” she said, but she was laughing and Akira had _missed her_ dammit.

He missed all of them.

A car pulled up next to them, and Akira frowned. He remembered this. The window rolled down, and the Phantom Thieves’ very first adversary stuck his head out to talk to Ann.

“Hey! It’s getting pretty late. At this rate, you’ll be late to school. Want a ride?” Kamoshida called out to her.

Ann paused, before opening her mouth to accept, but this time around Akira could see the hesitation in her posture and the wariness that crossed her face.

“Oh! Um…” she trailed off, but Akira cut her off.

“Actually, I’m a new student at Shujin and she offered to show me around,” he ducked his head bashfully and rubbed the back of his neck, playing the role of a new, socially awkward student flawlessly. Kamoshida studied him, and Akira remembered that he _knew_ who he was – that he had been the one to expose his record to the entire student body.

“Oh, well… as long as that’s okay with you, Takamaki-chan?”

Akira shuddered at the way he said her name.

“Y-yes! Of course it’s okay!” she stuttered. Akira somehow managed to refrain from rolling his eyes at her notoriously bad acting.

“Well alright then, just don’t be late,” he said with an easy smile. Akira nearly gagged. The window rolled back up and he drove away.

Ann turned to him, gaze questioning.

“Why did you do that?” she asked.

Akira shrugged again. “You looked uncomfortable.”

She looked taken aback for a moment, before she smiled at him again.

“I’m Ann Takamaki,” she introduced herself, offering her hand for him to shake. He stared at it for a moment before remembering that he wasn’t supposed to know her, and she didn’t know him.

“Akira Kurusu.”

They shook hands as footsteps splashed behind him, and he turned to see Ryuji dash under the awning next to them. He doubled over in exhaustion, his hands on his knees.

“Dammit! I’m so outta shape right now!” he complained. Ann stared at him with eyebrows raised.

“Sakamoto? Why were you running?”

“I was tryna stop you from gettin’ in the car with that creep!”

Ann rolled her eyes. “You know I can take care of myself!”

Akira would have argued that he came from the future and that she would have gotten in that car without outside interference, but he figured they wouldn’t have believed him.

“I know that but- aw what the hell, it doesn’t matter. Who the hell is this guy?” asked Ryuji, jabbing a thumb in Akira’s direction.

“Sakamoto! Don’t be rude!” Ann chided him. It was weird to listen to her talk to him without their old familiarity.

“I don’t mind,” said Akira with a smile. He offered his hand to Ryuji. “Akira Kurusu, at your service.”

Ryuji laughed and clasped his hand with his own. “Ryuji Sakamoto. I guess you must’ve convinced that asshole to fuck off, eh?”

Akira grinned. “I do what I can.”

Akira wanted to hug Ryuji so tight that he’d crack his best friend’s ribs.

“Well I hate to break up a budding bromance, but we’re going to be late,” Ann interrupted.

Ryuji rolled his eyes. “Alright, alright, let’s go! C’mon, I know a shortcut!”

Akira paused and pulled out his phone. The MetaNav app still wasn’t there. He frowned.

“Hey man! What’re you doing?”

Akira looked up to see his two friends staring at him questioningly.

“Sorry. I was just checking something.” He slid his phone back into his pocket.

In this timeline, Akira made to it to Shujin with two minutes to spare. There was no epic battle – no Persona awakening.

He wondered how much he could change until he permanently destroyed the space-time continuum.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two days passed without anything happening.
> 
> Two days passed, and Akira still had not entered Kamoshida’s Palace. The MetaNav app was gone. Akira hadn’t talked to Ryuji since the first day, and the longest he had talked to Ann was to teach her how to solve an equation she was struggling with at lunch.
> 
> Akira spent most of his energy suppressing his panic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting this along with the first chapter because nothing really happens in the first chapter and I figured I'd give you guys more substance.

Two days passed without anything happening.

Two days passed, and Akira still had not entered Kamoshida’s Palace. The MetaNav app was gone. Akira hadn’t talked to Ryuji since the first day, and the longest he had talked to Ann was to teach her how to solve an equation she was struggling with at lunch.

Akira spent most of his energy suppressing his panic.

Today was the volleyball rally, and Akira was seriously considering skipping. Everyone avoided him like the plague, and being a lonely delinquent was worse than sharing the weird looks with someone else.

He missed Ryuji.

Fuck it. He was going to go hide in the bathroom.

Eyes scanning for an optimal escape route like any good Phantom Thief, his gaze landed on Ryuji and Ann sitting next to each other. Their heads were bent low, as if conspiring, while they shot glances at Kamoshida.

Huh.

_I wonder…_

Akira pulled out his phone, turned it off so it wouldn't ring, and walked up to them.

They both stopped talking abruptly and looked up at him, eyes blown wide.

They were _definitely_ conspiring.

“Hey, this might sound weird, but can I use one of your phones to make a call? Mine is dead, and everyone else here looks like I’m going to murder them when I talk to them.”

They both winced.

“Ugh. Those guys don’t know what they’re talkin’ about. Just ignore ‘em. Here.” Ryuji unlocked his phone and passed it to Akira.

Akira looked down at the screen. His breath caught, and he fought to keep his face neutral.

“Hey,” said Ann, sounding concerned, “are you alright?”

No. He wasn’t. Because as he stared at Ryuji’s phone, the MetaNav app stared back at him.

A shout of pain from the court saved him from having respond.

Mishima was on the ground, and a volleyball rolled to a stop at Akira’s feet.

Kamoshida’s eyes widened with fake surprise, and he darted around the net to play the part of concerned teacher.

“That _bastard_ ,” Ryuji muttered. “We’re gonna-”

Ann kicked him in the shin, abruptly shutting him up.

“I agree,” said Akira mildly. He gave Ryuji his phone and picked up the volleyball.

“Can someone take him to the nurse?” Kamoshida asked.

Akira jogged up and handed him the ball. “I’ll go.”

“Thanks…?”

“Kurusu,” said Akira. “But you don’t need to act like you don’t know that.”

Kamoshida’s eyebrows shot up. Mishima’s face visibly paled. Akira resisted rolling his eyes.

Instead, he took Mishima’s arm and put it around his shoulders. He hauled him to his feet.

“C’mon, up you go. Are you dizzy?”

Mishima shook his head.

“That’s good. Probably don’t have a concussion then. Let’s get out of here.”

Kamoshida watched them as Akira led him out of the gym. He probably had landed himself on Kamoshida’s radar, but he couldn’t really care less.

Ann and Ryuji were following behind them. He ignored them, for the moment.

“Why’d you help me?” Mishima asked.

Akira shrugged. “I was bored. Are you alright?”

Mishima nodded, eyes trained on his feet.

“Are you sure? Kamoshida seems like he can be pretty brutal.”

Mishima came to a stop. Akira stopped beside him. He could feel Ann and Ryuji’s eyes on them.

“What are you trying to say?” Mishima’s voice was barely a whisper.

Being pushy had never worked with Mishima.

Akira fiddled with his hair. “Just that I have experience with shitty adults. I know what they look like. I also know how impossible they are to fight against, so I get it if you don’t want to talk. Just watch out for yourself, yeah?”

Mishima stared at him as though he had two heads.

“What?” he asked. “Do I have something on my face?”

“No!” said Mishima, “It’s just… that was really nice.”

“Don’t sound so surprised,” said Akira. “You’ll hurt my feelings.”

Mishima’s face turned red. Akira laughed.

“I’m messing with you. C’mon, we still actually need to get you to the nurse.”

Mishima didn’t move. He was staring down at the floor again.

“It’s just… you’re right.”

Ann gasped behind them. Ryuji whispered at her to shut up. She hissed something back, and they began to whisper-fight.

Akira decided to continue to pretend that they didn’t exist. Mishima seemed to be on the same page.

He clapped Mishima on the back. “I usually am. Don’t worry about it too much. I’ll see what I can do.”

Ryuji and Ann fell silent at that.

Mishima looked like he was about to burst into tears. “Thank you, Kurusu.”

What the hell was he doing? This wasn’t a promise he could keep without access to the Metaverse.

Akira shrugged. “Just doing what anyone would.”

“No,” said Mishima, “you aren’t.”

Akira felt his stomach sink. Wordlessly, he led Mishima to the infirmary.

* * *

Akira decided that the fastest method to get into the Metaverse was through Ann and Ryuji.

At lunch, he approached them. They were sitting in that covered area outside where he, Ryuji, and Morgana had talked all those months ago. He froze when he noticed the black cat sitting on the table in front of them.  
  
He was talking to them, and they were nodding along like they understood. Akira, thankfully, still could as well.  
  
“... I just don’t think we could make it any farther into the Palace without another Persona user,” he was saying. His tail swished from side to side.  
  
Akira stared. “Woah. Is that a cat?” he asked.

Ann and Ryuji jumped as if they hadn’t noticed him. Even Morgana looked surprised. He still moved quietly; a habit reinforced through months of slinking around the Metaverse.

“Oh! Hey-hey Kurusu-kun!” Ann laughed nervously. She twirled a strand of hair around her finger. She couldn’t be more obvious if she tried. Akira felt his eyes attempt to roll into the back of his skull.

“Oh yeah, that’s a cat,” said Ryuji, grinning.

“I am not!” Morgana exclaimed.

“Wow, he’s got a lot to say,” said Akira. He crouched down so he was eye level with him. “It almost looked like you guys were talking to him,” he said, just to make them squirm. They did indeed squirm, and Akira felt the demon inside of him that liked to make his friends uncomfortable reawaken with a flourish.

“What’s his name?” Akira asked, offering a hand for the cat to sniff. Morgana obliged, picking up his scent hesitantly.

“Morgana,” Ryuji supplied.

“Huh. I thought that was a girl’s name,” he said cheerfully. Ryuji laughed. Morgana spluttered indignantly. “Still, he’s a handsome cat. Whose is he?”

Morgana looked confused, like he wasn’t sure whether to be annoyed with Akira or preen under his praise. Ann and Ryuji exchanged a panicked glance, before shouting, in unison, “He’s mine!”

Akira was fighting a smile now. Instead he tipped his head to the side, the perfect picture of innocent curiosity.

“He’s both of yours?”

“Uhh, well we found him as a stray so we’ve both been takin’ turns watchin’ him and stuff,” Ryuji scrambled to salvage the situation.

Akira let his smile show then. “You guys are kind. Most people would’ve just left him alone to suffer. It’s nice to see nice people.” He scratched the top of Morgana’s head exactly the way he remembered the cat loved it. Morgana purred happily. His heart ached, and he struggled to get his emotions under control.

“Hey,” said Ann, her voice gentle in a way that made him look up. “Do you want to eat with us? I’ve noticed that you’ve been sitting alone and well, it can’t be easy to make friends with those rumors going around.”

“Yeah! I’ve heard some crazy shit about you, but you’re totally a cool dude! You helped out Mishima like it was nothin’! It’s not fair for people to be judgin’!” Ryuji added.

Oh fuck. He actually might cry at this rate.

Akira stood up and smiled at them in a way that he knows melts hearts. “Like I said, kind.”

They both turned a little red.

“You’re nice too, y’know!” said Ryuji. “That way you talked to Mishima… I just can’t sound like that dude. You were all empathetic and stuff!”

It was Akira’s turn to flush.

“Wow. I can’t believe you know the word empathetic,” said Morgana.

Ryuji’s eyes flashed with irritation, but he couldn’t say anything with Akira there. Akira just barely managed to resist the urge to laugh.

Ann just rolled her eyes. “So? Do you want to eat with us?” she asked.

Akira smiled again. “Thanks for the offer, but I’m not really hungry right now. I think I’m gonna go study in the library until classes start again.” He stood up and swung his bag over his shoulder.

“You sure? Everyone must whisper about you like crazy when you go in there,” said Ann.

Akira shrugged. “It’s nothing I can’t deal with. I’ll see you guys later, yeah?”

“Yeah of course man!” Ryuji said. Akira grinned and waved. He turned and walked, then ducked behind the nearest corner to eavesdrop. He knew it wasn’t the politest thing he could do, but he also knew they wouldn’t talk about anything he wanted to hear about if they knew he was listening.

“He’s a bit strange,” Morgana commented.

“Eh, I like him,” said Ryuji.

Akira really did not deserve him.

“He seems a bit sad,” said Ann.

Ryuji scoffed. “Of course he is! He’s at a new school and barely anyone will treat him like he’s a human being!”

_I also died slowly, and watched all of my friends die in the process of me dying slowly. But yeah Ryuji, that’s a pretty fair assessment._

“Am I the only one who felt like he was just stringing us along?” asked Morgana.

“The hell does that mean?” asked Ryuji, immediately on the defensive.

“I don’t know,” Morgana admitted, “I got a weird feeling looking at him. Not bad, just weird. Sort of like I knew him?”

“Like déjà vu?” Ann asked.

“Yes! Exactly that!”

“Oh whatever,” said Ryuji with a huff. “Let’s talk about Kamoshida.”

Fucking finally.

“Like I said before, we can’t get any further without another Persona user,” said Morgana.

“What if we brought some stuff to help us recover from hits?” asked Ryuji.

“What? Like in a video game?” Ann asked skeptically.

“You know, that actually might work! You know how the fake guns work because the world is based on perception?” Morgana said.

“Yeah?”

“Well, if we brought stuff that we believed would work, then I’m betting that it would!”

“Seriously?” Ann asked incredulously.

“Yes!” said Morgana. “It’d help us out a lot!”

Ann still sounded skeptical. “Well if you’re sure it’ll work, let’s go to the convenience store today to pick up some stuff and head in tomorrow.”

“I was actually thinking we could head in today,” said Morgana. “We should be fine with stuff we can buy from a vending machine for now. We need to scout out some areas we missed.”

“Hell yeah! Let’s take down this bastard!”

“Ryuji! Shut up!” Morgana hissed, “Try not to announce it to the entire school!”

“Sorry,” he apologized sheepishly.

Akira grinned to himself as he walked back to class. He had an idea forming in the back of his mind. He _would_ be joining the Phantom Thieves, and if he played his cards right, he could be a member by tonight

* * *

That day after school, Akira hid in the alleyway in front of Shujin. Sure enough, Ann and Ryuji walked into his line of sight, arguing about something or other. Morgana poked his head out of Ann’s bag and hissed at Ryuji to shut up.

Akira ducked behind a trash can. They walked close enough that if he reached out and stretched a little bit, he could touch them.

He clamped a hand over his mouth to muffle his breathing. Ann and Ryuji were too loud for any human to hear him over them, but Morgana had great ears. Coming up with a good explanation for why he was hiding behind a trashcan in front of the school would be impossible.

After checking that they had all the drinks they had bought from a vending machine, they activated the MetaNav.

Taking Akira with them.

He stayed behind the trashcan until their voices faded into the distance, then he popped his head out and saw a towering castle instead of the school.

_Yes!_

Akira pumped his fist victoriously. He’d made it to the Metaverse.

He noticed his clothes, and his elation fell flat immediately – he was still in his school uniform. It confirmed what he had already suspected, but he still felt bitterness surge in his throat.

No Persona then. That was fine. At least he was in the Metaverse now.

He tried to ignore the fact that every person who had the potential to awaken a Persona had gotten the MetaNav on their phone. He also tried to ignore the fact that he hadn’t dreamt of the Velvet Room a single time since he had woken up in this alternate timeline.

It was fine. Everything was fine.

He watched Ann, Ryuji, and Morgana disappear into the Palace. For a second, he considered following them. Then he realized that he had just slightly more self-preservation than that. Instead, he sat down against the building across from the looming castle and waited.

Akira tried to ignore the greasy feeling of guilt that was beginning to crawl across his skin. If he didn’t have his Persona, how the hell was he supposed to help his friends? Lead them? Save the fucking world? This was supposed to be his job, damn it. But here he was, utterly useless.

He pulled out his phone and began to play a crossword game.

The others found him, a few hours later, scowling at his screen.

“What the hell?” asked Ryuji, gawking at him.

“That’s what I’m saying, man. Any of you know a ten-letter word for caveman?”

“How did you get in here?” Ann asked. She looked like she was freaking out a little. It was kind of cute.

Akira sighed and pocketed his phone. “I was just standing in the alley, minding my own business. Then everything felt really fucking weird.” He paused for dramatic effect, then he pointed at Kamoshida’s Palace. “Guys, that’s literally a castle where our school is supposed to be. What the fuck?”

“We can explain that later. For now, we should leave,” said Morgana. Akira stared at him.

“Woah. Is that you Morgana?”

“Dude, how the hell did you recognize him?” asked Ryuji.

“I figured that if this was an anime the cat would be able to turn into a weird bipedal creature and talk.”

“I’m not a cat!” Morgana snapped.

“Clearly,” replied Akira.

Morgana looked like he did not know how to respond to that.

“Kurusu, you are… just _weird_ ,” said Ann, “How are you not freaking out?”

“Everyone freaks out in different ways, Takamaki. I do most of my freaking out internally,” Akira replied sagely.

“Can we _please_ leave?” asked Morgana.

“ _Troglodyte_!” Akira shouted, digging his phone out of his pocket.

“Dude,” Ryuji said, “you’re so fucking smart. I never would’ve gotten that.”

“Oh my god,” said Ann, pinching the bridge of her nose.

* * *

The four of them sat in a diner that was familiar to Akira due to the fact that it made a great place for study sessions on rainy days. Morgana sat in Ann’s bag, head poking just barely above the table to look at Akira and Ryuji. The blondes ordered juice. Akira asked for coffee. He took a sip. It tasted terrible.

“Okay guys, explain.”

Ann and Ryuji both exchanged glances before turning to Morgana, who sighed and began the whole spiel about the Metaverse, Palaces, and cognition. Akira barely listened; he knew all of this anyway. When Morgana finally finished talking, Akira didn’t even give him a chance to take a breath.

“Let me help.”

They all winced.

“Kurusu… it’s not that simple,” said Ann, though she sounded sympathetic.

Akira clenched his jaw. The feeling of distance that was created every time they referred to him by his last name grated against his already fragile mental stability.

“Hey, listen Akira – can I call you Akira?” Ryuji asked, as if he could read his mind.

“Yes, _please_ ,” he said in relief.

Ryuji grinned. “Great! Akira, look… I get wanting to do somethin’ to help, but it ain’t that simple. You need a Persona or something.”

“Then I’ll get one,” said Akira stubbornly, even though he knew it didn’t work that way.

“It doesn’t work that way,” said Morgana, “It’s dangerous. You could get yourself killed.”

“I _know_ that, it’s just that-” Akira broke off. He was getting too emotional. He needed to breathe, to _think_ about what he was saying. He used to be rather adept in persuasion. He could do this.

Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale.

Akira took his glasses off and folded them neatly before placing them on the table in front of him. His three old friends watched him in silence. He missed them constantly, a burning ache in his chest that felt a bit duller every time he was around them – even if they didn’t truly recognize him in turn. He needed to be with them. He needed to _help_ them.

“Ann,” he said, turning his gray stare onto her. She blinked, looking a bit surprised at the use of her given name, but she didn’t seem offended.

“Yes?” she asked, looking a bit unnerved under the weight of his stare.

“Kamoshida’s been making advances towards you, right? He has something over you that he uses to manipulate you.”

Ann stared at him, shocked.

“How could you possibly know that?”

Akira smiled at her. “You aren’t the type of person to respond to anything like that unless it was absolutely necessary. I can tell.”

She blinked at him, mouth open. He turned to his other friend.

“Ryuji. You have history with him. That’s why you’re doing this. You don’t want him to do what he did to you to anyone else.”

“Uh, yeah. That’s exactly it. I didn’t even realize that ‘til you said it.”

Akira gripped his knees with his hands under the table.

“Look, I’m not the kind of person who can just stand around when people need my help. Especially when _good_ people need my help. You guys _saw_ Mishima – he’s terrified of him. And you two were the first ones to be truly nice to me after my arrest. I can’t just sit back and let you all do the heavy lifting.”

“Akira-” Ann began, but he cut her off before she could continue.

“Morgana.”

The cat sat up, alert at the direct attention, as if instinct told him to respond to Akira’s orders.

“You said the world is cognitive, right? That you guys use fake guns that work like real ones in there? Please, I have experience with model guns. I’m a fairly good shot. Take me with you and I can show you what I can do. I’ll provide backup. I won’t get in your way. I _promise._ ”

Morgana hesitated, but Akira could see the scales tipping in his favor.

“And if you do get in our way? Or if you can’t keep up?” Morgana asked.

“Then you don’t have to take me with you a second time, and I’ll never bother you about it again.”

“You can get your own gun?”

“Oi! Morgana that’s not fair! You wouldn’t even know-”

“Yes I can. There’s an airsoft shop not too far from here, right?”

Ryuji just stared at him. “Dude, you are so weird.”

Morgana and Akira ignored him, engaged in a brief staring contest. Akira knew that whatever decision the cat made, the others would follow. He had pretty much led them all in the beginning, including Akira.

Akira let the desperation slide from his expression. Instead his face hardened, eyes like chips of flint. He _had_ to do this.

Morgana sighed. “Fine. You can come with us.”

Ryuji whooped and flung his arm around Akira’s shoulders. The movement was so familiar that Akira reflexively grinned. He leaned a bit into Ryuji’s side.

“Hell yeah! Want me to come with ya to grab that gun?” Ryuji asked.

Akira laughed. He wriggled out of his friend’s grip so he could properly punch him in the shoulder.

“Yeah man. Wanna head over now?”

“Sounds good to me!”

“Wait, seriously?” asked Ann. Akira shrugged.

“Why not? I’ve got like an hour before I’m locked out for the night.”

“That’s not enough time!”

* * *

Akira and Ryuji ended up going to the shop anyway. Akira left with a shiny new pistol. He had taken it out of the casing in the shop which gave Iwai a conniption. They had both gawked at Akira when he dismantled it with nimble fingers, before reassembling it with ease. The entire process took him less than thirty seconds.

Iwai told him to come back whenever he felt like it.

Akira did not make it back on time to Leblanc. The sun had set about ten minutes ago, and all the lights in the café were off. He tried the door – it was locked.

He cursed himself for not bringing lockpicks with him, and instead moved into the alleyway on the side of the building. He squinted his eyes at the wall, judging the distance to the attic window he had deliberately left unlocked.

“Eh, it should be fine,” he told himself.

It was not fine.

Climbing was much, _much_ easier in the Metaverse.

His grip was less sure, and his arms were distinctly weaker than he remembered them to be. He missed footholds twice; sliding down brick walls did not do the palms of his hands any favors.

Somehow, he managed to get the window open and he hauled himself over the windowsill. He crumpled onto his bed, panting.

“That was the fucking worst,” he told the empty attic. The dust floating in the air did not respond. Neither did the old, worn books on the bookshelf. He assumed they agreed with him.

The palms of his hands were on fire. He lifted them up above his face to look at them. Blood dripped onto his nose, and he spluttered in disgust.

Oh fuck. That was going to make shooting a gun a bit difficult.

The palms of his hands were cracked and bleeding. There were pieces of the _wall_ stuck under the skin. It hurt like hell.

Groaning, Akira hauled himself from his bed before he bled on his sheets. His legs felt the way Jell-O feels after you mash it aggressively with your spoon. He stumbled down the stairs, cursing.

He turned on the faucet and ran his hands under cool water. It stung at first, but he sighed in relief when it began to numb the pain. The running water managed to dislodge most of the pebbles from under his skin. He absent-mindedly picked out the rest, watching the bloodied water swirl down the drain.

His hands were washed of blood, and yet they were still covered in it.

Akira thought of a boy, of a murderer, who wore gloves so often he was never seen without them. He wondered if he too saw blood dripping off his fingertips every time he glanced downwards. He wondered if he drowned in it the same way Akira always seemed to.

He wondered how someone could watch so many people die and stay sane.

Well, it was arguable that he _hadn’t_ stayed sane – Akira certainly hadn’t. Maybe he should ask him for tips on pretending.

Akira turned off the faucet and staggered back upstairs, forgetting to bandage his hands. He fell asleep immediately after his head hit his pillow.

He dreamt of nothing at all.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Sojiro walked into Leblanc the next morning, Akira was in the kitchen filling a glass with tap water. He was dressed and ready for school. Sojiro dropped his keys in shock. Akira turned at the sound of the bell and shot him a cheerful smile.
> 
> “Good morning, Sakura-san,” he greeted, as if nothing had happened the night before.
> 
> “How the hell did you get in here?” asked Sojiro instead of returning the greeting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I'm back with a new chapter. We get our first Akechi appearance in this one. Happy reading :)

When Sojiro walked into Leblanc the next morning, Akira was in the kitchen filling a glass with tap water. He was dressed and ready for school. Sojiro dropped his keys in shock. Akira turned at the sound of the bell and shot him a cheerful smile.

“Good morning, Sakura-san,” he greeted, as if nothing had happened the night before.

“How the hell did you get in here?” asked Sojiro instead of returning the greeting.

“Oh, I just climbed through the window.”

Sojiro paused, taking a minute to register the full meaning behind that statement.

“The _attic_ window?!”

“Yep,” said Akira. He took a sip from the glass in his hand, nonchalantly watching Sojiro’s face turn a delightful shade of white.

“There’s no way in hell you managed that,” he said, though he didn’t sound so sure.

Akira sighed and set down his glass. He held his hands up to show off the damaged skin, wriggling his fingers for a bit of pizazz. Sojiro was behind the counter in an instant. He grabbed Akira’s wrist and tugged him closer to study the wounds on his palms. Akira stumbled forward, nearly knocking the glass off the counter.

“Woah! It’s not that big of a deal.”

Sojiro glared at him. Akira clamped his mouth shut.

“Sit,” he commanded, pointing to one of the chairs at the counter. Akira sat. Sojiro disappeared into the bathroom. He reappeared carrying peroxide, cotton swabs, and bandages.

“This might sting a bit,” Sojiro told him. Akira hummed in acknowledgement. He swung his feet like a child while Sojiro cleaned the cuts on his hands, barely even wincing when the peroxide-soaked cotton swiped over the broken skin. Sojiro scowled as he worked, but he was surprisingly gentle.

“Why didn’t you come find me at the house?” Sojiro asked him as he carefully wrapped Akira’s hands. “I would’ve given you the key to get in.”

Akira shrugged. “I didn’t want to bother you. It was my fault for being late anyway. You _did_ warn me that you closed up shop when it gets dark. I should’ve listened.”

Sojiro didn’t reply. Akira fidgeted nervously. Sojiro finished wrapping his hands and he straightened up. Akira watched him as he moved behind the counter, beginning to make a pot of coffee. The silence was tense; it weighed on Akira’s shoulders.

“Why were you back so late?” Sojiro asked him, setting a cup of coffee in front of the teenager.

Akira took a sip of the coffee. It burned his tongue, but he still let out a sigh of contentment. When he turned to Sojiro, he was wearing a smile so genuine it was almost raw.

“I was with my friends,” he said happily.

When he left Leblanc that morning for school, Sojiro gave him the key.

* * *

On the way to Shujin, Akira ran into the one person he wanted to avoid at all costs – literally.

He had been laughing at a terrible joke Ryuji had sent to the group chat with him and Ann, not paying attention to where he was going, when he slammed directly into… _someone_.

Goro Akechi yelped and stumbled backwards. Akira, being the graceful Phantom Thief he was, fell flat on his ass.

“Oh my! I’m sorry! Are you alright?” a nauseatingly familiar voice asked. Akira looked up to see a gloved hand offering to help him up.

Akira nearly hurled his hearty breakfast of curry all over Akechi’s designer shoes.

“Oh dear, you’re quite pale,” said Akechi, the perfect amount of worry decorating his tone. Akira realized with a jolt that he needed to actually reply like a normal human being.

“I’m fine. Sorry, I was just surprised. I recognized you. From TV, I mean.”

Akechi laughed. “Oh it’s alright! I get that a lot. I don’t understand why though, I’m hardly famous.”

Akira snorted. “Sure, it’s not like I see you every time I turn on the news or anything like that.”

_You also tried to kill me. You were the first person I watched die._

Akechi laughed again, pretending to be flustered so flawlessly it was almost elegant. Akira knew that he was actually soaking up the attention like the greedy little bastard he was.

Akira _hated_ him.

“Are you sure you want to stay down there? It can’t be comfortable – or very clean for that matter.”

_I’d rather stay down here than accept your help, thank you very much._

“Oh! Right!” said Akira, voice and smile as plastic as Akechi’s. He took the murderer’s gloved hand and let him help him to his feet. Nausea crawled further up his throat.

Instead of throwing up, he rubbed his bruised tailbone, wincing.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Akechi asked, “You hit the ground rather hard.”

Akechi leaned forward, his face the caricature of genuine concern. A strand of his irritatingly perfect brown hair fell across his face as he studied him. Akira wanted to viciously attack it with a pair of scissors. Maybe throw him into a tank of hungry piranhas while he was at it. What he _didn’t_ want to do, was continue this conversation for another second.

“Yeah I’m fine. Don’t worry about it. I have to go, or I’ll be late to school.”

Akira turned tail and bolted into the crowd before Akechi could say another word.

* * *

He found Ann, Ryuji, and Morgana on the roof of the school. Ann and Ryuji were bickering as usual. Morgana, of course, sided with Ann. They all promptly shut up when Akira walked through the door. None of them would meet his eyes.

They had been talking about him.

“You were talking about me, weren’t you?” It was out of Akira’s mouth before he could stop himself. Damn it, he used to have more of a filter than this. Where the hell did it go?

They all flinched.

“Akira,” said Ann, “we think it’s best if-”

“ _You_ think it’s best,” Ryuji snapped.

“It’s fine,” Akira interrupted, holding up his hand. “It’s nothing I’m not used to.” His voice was weary. They all looked properly guilty.

_Good_ , a cruel voice in him said savagely, _you’re_ helping _them._

“Any of you have any leftover food?” he asked out loud, “I’m starving.”

“Here,” said Ryuji, thrusting out an uneaten half of a sandwich. “I’m not hungry anymore.”

“You sure?” Akira asked.

Ryuji nodded. “Take it man.”

Akira gratefully accepted the sandwich and settled himself down at Ryuji’s feet, using his friend’s legs as a backrest. Ryuji didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he leaned forward and squeezed Akira’s shoulder in a quiet apology.

Akira immediately felt guilty for his cruel thought earlier. Ryuji was _always_ on his side – he didn’t deserve Akira’s animosity. Ryuji was officially his favorite person. If Ryuji asked, he would marry him on the spot.

“So,” said Akira between bites of his sandwich, “Palace this afternoon?”

“Yes,” said Morgana from his perch on Ann’s lap. He tried to look dignified, but Ann was scratching behind his ears and he was purring relentlessly.

The cat seemed to have found a temporary home with her. Akira didn’t mind – he didn’t think he could deal with a pair of eyes watching his every move anyway.

“You got a gun, right?” Ann asked. Akira nodded.

“You shoulda seen him at that store! He knew exactly what he was doing. Even the owner dude seemed surprised!”

“‘Owner dude’?” Ann was laughing.

“Hey! Shuddup!”

Morgana didn’t say anything. He was studying Akira with a keen look in his eyes. With all of the cat’s ridiculousness, it was easy to forget how smart he actually was. If any of them manage to figure Akira out, Morgana would probably be the first.

It was _definitely_ a good thing that Morgana was living with Ann this time around.

“Alright,” said Akira, standing up. “We should probably get back to class.” He stretched his arms above his head. Every single joint in his body made a loud popping noise. Ryuji wrinkled his nose.

“Dude, what _are_ you?”

* * *

When they sat down in their seats, Ann twisted around to look at him. Her eyes were gentle. Guilty. Kind. Akira felt his heart squeeze. She was good too. How could he have possibly forgotten?

Whispers started up almost immediately. The subjects of them stubbornly ignored them.

“Hey, Akira? I’m sorry for talking about you when you weren’t there. I was just-”

“Worried about me, I know. I overreacted. _I_ should be the one apologizing.”

“No!” she exclaimed shaking her head. “Wait- I mean _yes_ I’m worried about you, but you don’t need to apologize! It wasn’t fair to you.”

Akira smiled. “Thank you, Ann. But hey, can you do me a favor?”

“Of course!” said Ann.

Akira leaned over his desk; his face so close to hers their noses were nearly touching.

The whispers erupted into a dull roar.

“ _Trust me_ ,” he told her, “I promise I know what I’m doing. I promise I can take care of myself. I’ll be perfectly fine, as long as you _trust me_.”

Trust from his friends had never been a problem in the past. He had always seemed so capable that they didn’t even think twice before coming to him for help. He had to regain that trust – he _needed_ to – he could feel the way it was lacking deep in his bones.

She blinked, startled, before taking a deep breath.

“Yeah, yeah okay. I trust you; I promise.”

Akira’s smile was blinding. “Thank you,” he said happily. He leaned back and playfully poked her on the nose.

“H-hey!” she exclaimed, cheeks turning red when she realized how close they had been. The stares from their classmates probably weren’t helping either.

Whoops.

* * *

Entering the Metaverse always felt greasy and uncomfortable – kind of like being in Akechi’s presence for too long.

Ann and Ryuji appeared next to him dressed in their Metaverse clothes. He glanced down at himself, glaring at his uniform pants.

The world just kept asking for so much from him. It wanted him to give and give and give and to never expect anything in return because giving is what you’re _supposed_ to do. He _died_ for this world. He deserves a fucking Persona.

_No I don’t. I really don’t. I didn’t do it right. I didn’t give enough._

“You guys ready?” asked Mona.

“Hell yeah!” said Skull, hitting a fist into the palm of his other hand.

“Wait, doesn’t he need a codename?” Panther asked, nodding in Akira’s direction.

Akira swallowed. Fuck. He had been hoping to avoid this.

He wasn’t Joker. He hadn’t been Joker for a single moment since he had woken up in this timeline. Joker was strong. Joker was powerful. Joker was _useful_. Yet he couldn’t be anything _but_ Joker.

Fuck.

He’ll just let one of them pick a codename.

“Glasses,” said Ryuji immediately.

Never mind.

“Caricature,” he said. It’s what he was after all. He was a fake; a mere exaggerated imitation of what he used to be.

“Hell no. I don’t even know what that means,” said Ryuji.

Akira burst out laughing. Ryuji was so dumb he wouldn’t even let Akira angst properly. He adored him.

“Parody?” Ann asked, playing off his idea.

“Wait, were you calling yourself a joke?” Ryuji asked, frowning. Akira shrugged, deflecting the question so easily that Ryuji didn’t know what to do with himself.

“Joker!” Morgana shouted, “I don’t know why, but it makes sense!”

Something in Akira’s stomach churned.

“You’re right, Mona. It suits him,” said Panther, grinning behind her mask.

Akira wanted to throw up. Or start screaming. Whatever happened first.

Mona frowned at him. “Do you like it?”

Akira sighed, pushing his glasses up his nose. He wasn’t Joker – not anymore. The high school uniform he wore proved that. But the versions of his friends that stood next to him didn’t know who that was. He’d be fine. He could pretend.

“It’s fine,” he said.

“I still think Glasses would’ve been more accurate.”

“Shut the fuck up, Skull,” said Joker. Skull let out a startled laugh.

* * *

Joker, thank whatever gods that weren’t Yaldabaoth, hadn’t lost his uncanny eyesight when it came to the Metaverse.

He spotted the first Shadow they encountered before they even rounded the corner. It was a weaker one – so he didn’t hesitate. He pulled off a headshot before the others even were aware of its existence. It didn’t even have time to change into its true form; it simply crumpled into nothing. The others stared at him.

“What?” said Joker, a familiar grin stealing its way across his face. “I said I was a good shot.”

His Metaverse skills didn’t end there.

Stealth was second nature to him. He kept to the shadows, darting around the line of sight of Shadows. He spotted pathways before anyone else. He noticed anything that could be of value and snatched it up immediately. He pulled lockpicks out of his pockets and opened chests as if he had the key. Sometimes he would break off from the group, and they would only notice that he had disappeared when he returned, arms laden with gold and new gear.

When they entered their first safe room of the trip, Skull turned to him with only one serious, pressing question.

“Dude,” he said, “what the actual fuck?”

Joker shrugged. “Wanna see my haul?” He emptied his pockets before anyone could respond, and suddenly the entire table was covered in a pile of glittering random shit and yen.

“ _What the fuck_ ,” Skull whispered. Panther’s eyes grew huge.

“How did you even fit all of that in your pockets?” she asked.

Joker shrugged again. “Must just be the Metaverse.”

“Were you arrested for stealing?” she blurted out.

“Yes,” he said, expression entirely deadpan.

“That explains so much!”

“I stole a gallon of milk from the grocery store.”

“Hey! Stop fuckin’ with us!” Skull complained.

“Yeah! Be serious!” said Panther.

“I am being serious. I really wanted some milk.”

“You literally said you were lactose intolerant in the group chat yesterday!”

“Yes. And?”

“You’ve been to the Metaverse before,” Mona interrupted. It was a statement, not a question. Akira wanted to stuff cotton balls in his ears and to tell him to stop having any common sense.

In retrospect, he probably should have been less obvious.

“No. This is the first Palace I’ve ever been in.”

_Truth._

“Then you’ve been to Mementos.”

“I don’t even have the app on my phone-”

_Truth._

“-and I don’t know what the hell that is.”

_Lie._

Mona stared him down. Joker stared back. Whatever Mona saw in his eyes seemed to pass the test, because he slumped in defeat.

“You’re one hell of a natural then. It’s a shame you don’t have a Persona. I wonder what you could do with one…” Mona trailed off, studying him.

_Not enough. I could never do enough._

* * *

When they left the Metaverse, Akira divided the money evenly between the three of them. Ryuji and Ann both gawked at the small fortunes they held.

“You found all of this. We can’t take it,” Ann protested. Akira shot her an easy grin.

“Don’t worry about it. I wouldn’t have even made it three feet into the Palace without you guys. Besides, some of it was from drops from Shadows.”

Ryuji laughed. “Sure man, whatever you say. I saw you with that gun though. You probably coulda kicked ass all on your own!”

Morgana stared at Akira’s bulging bag. “What are you going to do with all of that?”

“I’ll just pawn it off.”

“There are literally mini busts of Kamoshida in there.”

“Yeah, made out of _solid gold_. I know a guy who’ll take it. Any of you want some new gear while I’m at it?”

* * *

Iwai didn’t seem to know whether to be delighted or annoyed when Akira strolled into the store. When Akira dumped his bag’s contents all over the counter, his eyes bugged out of his skull.

“The hell is this?”

“Random shit I found in the attic. You’ll take it right? I’m pretty sure half of these things are made out of solid gold.”

Iwai narrowed his eyes at him suspiciously.

“3,000 yen.”

“Nope. This could easily go for 7,000.”

Iwai barked out a laugh. “You’ve got some balls kid.”

“So I’ve been told,” said Akira with a grin.

“Fine,” said Iwai, returning the grin. “I’ll raise my price up to 5,000. No more than that.”

“Deal.”

Iwai watched Akira as he happily counted through the money he had earned.

“Y’know… you seem to know your way around a gun. I’ve been needing a hand around here. I can’t pay you, but I’d be willing to give you decent prices if this becomes more than a one-time thing.”

Akira’s head jerked upwards so fast he nearly lost his grip on the bills he was holding

That was _way_ easier than last time.

“Sure, I’ll help out – if I feel like it anyway,” said Akira, stuffing the money in his wallet.

Iwai laughed again, making a shooing motion with his hands. “Get the hell outta here!”

Akira waved, leaving the shop with a win he hadn’t expected to score.

* * *

Akira made his way to the train station. His interaction with Iwai had put him in a good mood, but something felt off. There was an itch underneath his skin, an impatient urge to _move_. He didn’t understand why, but he felt like there was something he desperately needed to do.

Was something else supposed to happen today?

Akira pulled out his phone and checked the date. April 14th.

What happened on April 14th…?

He wracked his brain, trying to find an answer the bizarre anxiety buzzing under his skin.

_The 14 th... maybe tomorrow? The 15th?_

Akira froze, blood draining from his face.

Shit.

_Shit!_

_How could I forget!?_

The ground beneath him teetered, and he swayed.

His brain was white noise. Suddenly, he found himself on the ground, trying to get his breathing under control.

“Are you alright?” a kind voice asked. A familiar one.

Toranosuke Yoshida was crouched down next to him, a steadying hand placed on his shoulder.

Why the hell did he keep randomly running into his old confidants?

_I need to get off my ass. There might still be time. I need to_ move.

“I’m fine,” Akira muttered, struggling to catch his breath. “I just forgot something important. I need to hurry.”

“Well in that case, let me help you up.”

Yoshida gripped his arm and pulled him upwards. Somehow, Akira managed to get his feet underneath him. He ignored the way his vision swam.

“Thank you,” said Akira.

“Happy to help,” Yoshida told him a smile. Akira paused, studying him.

_You don’t have time for this!_ his anxiety snarled.

“I’ve heard you… your speeches I mean. I think we need more politicians like you.”

Yoshida looked startled. He didn’t have time to reply before Akira disappeared into the crowd.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haha that funny moment when u die and r traumatized but bc of the circumstances u have to start lying to ur friends haha
> 
> Quick note on Akechi: This is not an Akechi hate fanfiction. I am not planning on dissing him throughout this whole thing. This also isn't an Akechi apologist fanfiction. Akira and Akechi never got the chance to reconcile. Akechi made two of his best friends into orphans. Remember that the majority of this will take place from Akira's perspective, and at the moment he is NOT impressed. That is all.
> 
> Another thing I feel like I should mention - honorifics. I have been watching anime for nearly five years now. That is all the experience I have with Japanese honorifics. I do feel as though they are something you don't truly understand until you're part of the culture. What I'm trying to say is that I am not an expert and I only have a vague idea of what I'm doing. However, Persona 5 uses them, and I'm trying to emulate it as best as I can. If you think something sounds off, please let me know!
> 
> No, I am not acknowledging the minor cliffhanger. It's pretty easy to figure out what terrible thing Akira forgot about. I hope you all had a great Tuesday!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira was getting on the Ginza line as he was dialing Ann. She picked up on the second ring.
> 
> _“Hello?”_
> 
> “Ann!” said Akira breathlessly, his panic bleeding into his voice. “Your friend on the volleyball team – does she have practice after school today?”
> 
> _“Yeah? At least I think so. It probably ended a few minutes ago. Why?”_
> 
> “I have a bad feeling, Ann. A _really_ bad feeling. You know how he was being a creep to you?”
> 
> Ann didn’t reply.
> 
> “Can you _please_ call her?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! This is later than I intended it to be, but school and work has been kicking my ass.
> 
> This chapter is where those warnings I posted in the end notes become necessary. Please take a look at them if you're unsure. Of course I like having you around as a reader, but I'd much rather you take care of yourself.
> 
> Enjoy! Shit goes down!

Akira was getting on the Ginza line as he was dialing Ann. She picked up on the second ring.

_“Hello?”_

“Ann!” said Akira breathlessly, his panic bleeding into his voice. “Your friend on the volleyball team – does she have practice after school today?”

_“Yeah? At least I think so. It probably ended a few minutes ago. Why?”_

“I have a bad feeling, Ann. A _really_ bad feeling. You know how he was being a creep to you?”

Ann didn’t reply.

“Can you _please_ call her?”

Ann exhaled, long and slow. _“Shit. Yeah, I’ll call her. Are you sure you’re not overreacting?”_

“No,” said Akira honestly, “but do you want to take that chance?”

 _“No!”_ Ann replied, _“I’ll call her.”_

“Make sure to tell her to watch out for the other girls on the team,” Akira told her, watching the train doors slide shut. God, it was hard to breathe. His chest hurt. A headache began to form behind his left eye, rapidly growing into a migraine.

 _“Good idea!”_ said Ann. Her voice softened. _“And hey, thanks for telling me. I’m glad you didn’t brush it off – you have a good intuition.”_

“Of course. Thanks,” said Akira, pinching the bridge of his nose. It did nothing to alleviate the migraine slamming against his skull.

Ann hung up to call Shiho. Akira was left alone with his anxiety.

_Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!_

He kept his eyes focused on the doors and tried to ignore the feeling of people brushing up against him. He nearly snarled when a little girl stumbled into him when the train made a particularly sharp turn. Her parents apologized, but the train was coming to a stop. Akira shoved his way through the crowd, the tail end of the apology going unheard.

Akira bolted through the station and raced down the street. He slowed to a brisk walk when his phone began to ring. It was a call from Ann.

_“Akira! I called a few times, but after a few tries she picked up. I tried to warn her about Kamoshida. She wouldn’t listen. We argued about it for a while but then she left. She said something about Kamoshida needing her. Akira, what do we do? I’m freaking out!”_

_That makes two of us._

Akira walked through the gates of Shujin Academy.

“Listen to me, Ann. I’m at Shujin.”

_“What?! You’re serious?!”_

“Yes. I told you, it was a bad feeling.”

_“I’ll meet you there!”_

“No. Stay home. I’ll visit later, and I’ll bring Suzui with me. By the time you get here, there’ll be nothing you can do.”

_“Crap, you’re right. Do you know how to get to my house?”_

Akira laughed shakily. “No, I’m not a stalker Ann. Suzui does though, right?”

_“Yes!”_

“Good. I should see you in about an hour or two.”

_“Please be careful, Akira. And please keep her safe.”_

“I know. I will.”

* * *

Adrenaline dealt with Akira’s headache as he took the stairs two steps at a time. He passed Mishima on the way up. He grabbed his arm.

“K-Kurusu? What are you doing here?”

“Where’s Suzui?” Akira asked immediately.

“Kamoshida-sensei said he needed her.” Mishima’s face paled. “Oh no. You don’t think…?”

Akira barreled past him. He barely registered that Mishima began to follow behind him.

When Akira burst through the doors of Kamoshida’s office, he found Shiho pinned against the desk. All of her clothes were on, thank god, but tears were spilling down her cheeks. Kamoshida loomed over her.

“Stop it!” Akira shouted. “Leave her the fuck alone!”

Mishima just stared at the scene in front of him, eyes wide and horrified.

Kamoshida turned, deliberately slow. For the first time since he discovered the Metaverse, Akira felt genuine fear crawl down his spine in the real world.

Something told him he wouldn’t be escaping this interaction without a few bruises.

“Mishima. Get out of here.”

“But-”

“ _Go!”_ Akira snapped.

Mishima hurriedly backed out of the office, leaving Akira, Kamoshida, and Shiho alone.

“Ah, _hello,_ Kurusu. You seem to enjoy being the hero type,” said Kamoshida, a deceptively charming grin decorating his face. He took a step towards Akira, who took a step backwards. His eyes flitted from Kamoshida to Shiho. She was slumped against the desk, sobs shaking her shoulders.

“Don’t look at her!” Kamoshida snarled. Akira’s gaze jerked back to the disgusting, pedophilic rapist.

“They say you get every question right in class – that if you didn’t have that ugly assault record, you’d be a model student. Surely, you’re smart enough to see that you should leave this alone. Just walk out that door and let me return to my work.”

Akira laughed. “Are you fucking kidding me? Your _work_? How about I tell the police about your _work_? Why don’t I testify to the courts?”

“You wouldn’t dare,” Kamoshida growled.

Akira grinned. “Try me.”

Kamoshida had barely moved before Akira was darting out the door and into the hallway. But Akira wasn’t a trained athlete – he wouldn’t be able to run forever.

Sure enough, he had only managed to turn the corner before Kamoshida’s hand grabbed the back of Akira’s blazer.

Akira shouted as he was yanked back. Kamoshida slammed him into the wall, his skull cracking against a poster advocating the volleyball club. How ironic. Akira’s legs buckled. Black spots burst in front of his eyes.

Kamoshida’s hand closed around a fistful of his curly, black hair. He yanked Akira upwards, forcing him to look him in the eye.

“You will not breathe a word of this to another soul,” Kamoshida hissed.

Akira felt something hot trickle down his neck. He felt woozy. He wondered if he had left any blood on the poster. He hoped so.

“Why shouldn’t I?” Akira asked, words slurring together. “What’re you gonna do? Kill me? One student murdered and another student raped in the same day? Could you really get away with that, Kamoshida- _sensei_?” He spat the honorific out like an insult.

“Shut up!” Kamoshida snarled. He slammed Akira’s head into the wall again. Akira nearly blacked out.

“Leave us alone,” he managed to say, “Leave me and Suzui alone. We won’t say anything if you do that. Just leave us alone.”

“And if I don’t?” Kamoshida asked. Akira looked up at him through his unruly hair and the lenses of his glasses. The ice in his glare could have frozen over hell.

“Then I’ll tell the whole world that you’re an abusive _rapist_.”

Kamoshida snarled. His hands closed around Akira’s neck, cutting off his airway. Akira scrambled frantically, uselessly tugging against Kamoshida’s grip. The world faded from his view. For one mind-numbingly horrifying moment, Akira genuinely thought that he was about to die.

Again.

_Are you fucking kidding me? I couldn’t even make it past Kamoshida’s Palace this time._

Then Kamoshida’s hands were gone from around his throat. Akira coughed and gasped for air. When he regained awareness of his surroundings, Kamoshida was nowhere to be seen.

Holy fuck.

_Shiho._

Akira hauled himself to his feet. The world spun, and his lunch made a reappearance at the back of his throat. He stumbled to the nearest trash can and hurled. It was terrible on his damaged throat. Shiho found him then, hunched over the trashcan, shaking and retching.

“Kurusu-kun!” she cried out, rushing to his side.

“M’fine,” he rasped, “just a concussion. Probably.”

“Your voice!” she gasped.

“Ann,” he said. His voice was indeed fucked. It sounded like Kamoshida had attacked it with a cheese grater. “Call Ann.”

Shiho obeyed, hands shaking as she dialed.

 _“Shiho!”_ Ann had picked up almost immediately. _“Are you alright? Where’s Akira?”_

“I’m fine,” Shiho reassured her.

“And I’m right here,” Akira wheezed.

“Oh thank god! Can you make it here?”

“Actually… Kamoshida wasn’t very nice to me. I can’t let my guardian see me like this – it might mess up my probation. Can I…?”

 _“Yes! My parents won’t be back in town for a few more weeks! What_ happened _?”_

Shiho glanced at Akira, who was leaning over the trashcan, panting. He looked like utter shit.

“It’s probably best if we get to your house as soon as possible. We’ll tell you what happened then.”

* * *

Shiho knocked on Ann’s door. Akira leaned against her; still dizzy from the hits he had taken to his head. The house wasn’t a mansion, per se, but it was definitely _nice_.

Ann opened the door almost immediately. She promptly burst into tears and flung her arms around them. Akira buried his face in her neck. Her hair tickled his nose. She smelled like vanilla.

It was nice – like her house.

Akira’s phone buzzed in his pocket, and he reluctantly extracted himself from Ann’s embrace to check it.

**_Private Message_ **

**_7:35 PM_ **

_Sojiro: Where the hell are you?_

_Akira: don’t wait up. staying with a friend._

_Akira: sorry_

_Akira: something came up for school. we have to rush for a project._

_Sojiro: That’s fine, but give me more of warning next time._

_Akira: i will_

_Akira: i’m sorry_

He got another message, but nausea hit him again in a wave of misery. Ann watched his face turn into a delicate shade of green.

“Bathroom is down the first hall to the left.”

Akira nodded and practically ran to it.

Ann walked in when he was moaning miserably into the toilet. She placed a glass of water on the counter and gently rubbed his back.

“Taking hits outside of the Metaverse _sucks_ ,” he complained. She laughed.

* * *

Akira sprawled out on a couch in Ann’s living room, using an icepack as a pillow. He watched the fan above his head spin in lazy circles. Ann and Shiho took the other couch. Ann was gripping Shiho’s hand tightly, like she thought her best friend was going to disappear.

Between Shiho’s halting sentences and Akira’s mumbled words, they both had somehow managed to communicate the general gist of the story to Ann.

“I don’t want to even think about what would have happened if Kurusu-kun hadn’t gotten there in time,” Shiho admitted.

 _No,_ thought Akira, _you don’t._

“Call me Akira,” he told her instead. She gave him an odd look. He knew it was a little bizarre, the way he handed out familiarity so easily, but he thought Shiho had earned it at that point.

“What?” he asked, “We’ve fought battles together. That’s good enough for first name basis to me.”

“We fought _a_ battle together,” Shiho said, but she was smiling.

“Still,” said Akira.

“Oh fine then… Akira.”

“Great… Shiho.”

Shiho laughed. It was a beautiful sound. He understood now, why Ann had fought so hard to hear it.

“Wait, hold on. I’m glad you two are bonding over sharing a traumatic experience and all, but what is up with Akira’s voice?”

“Oh yeah. I had sort of gotten used to the raspy, old man voice.”

“Hey!” Akira protested. “I’ll have you know that it was a very painful experience.”

“What was?” asked Ann.

Akira reached up and yanked his turtleneck down, exposing the horrible black and blue handprint wrapping around his throat.

There was a beat of silence. Then Ann was shrieking

“ _What the fuck, Akira!? You didn’t think to mention that!?”_

Akira winced. “It seemed a lot less pressing than the concussion – which I still have by the way. Please stop screaming. It hurts me.”

“Akira. If you weren’t injured, I would be slapping you right now,” said Shiho angrily. Guilt curled in the edges of her words, and Akira frowned.

“Duly noted.”

Akira was forced to sit up so Ann could apply bruise cream.

“Shirt off,” she ordered.

Akira stared up at her from under his eyelashes, fluttering them exaggeratedly.

“Oh my, Ann-chan,” his voice a terrible falsetto. “How scandalous! We haven’t even gone on the first date yet!”

Ann was not impressed. Neither was Shiho. Akira thought he was hilarious.

He tossed his shirt over his head. Of course, this was when someone finally took notice of the bandages wrapped around his hands.

“What happened to your hands, Akira?” Shiho asked. Ann stopped in her unfairly aggressive application of bruise cream to look at what Shiho was asking about.

“Oh nothing. Just some late-night rock climbing.”

“… What?”

“Well, I got locked out of where I live last night. I had to get in through the attic window.”

Ann looked like she was about to lose her mind.

“You are not a real person.”

“Not gonna argue with you there.”

“Is he always like this?” Shiho asked.

“Unfortunately, yes,” said Ann.

“Hey. I’m great. Don’t even deny it.”

* * *

Shiho ended up staying at Ann’s that night as well. Akira was expecting to be relocated to a guest room and for the girls to disappear into Ann’s room. He was surprised when Ann emerged from the laundry room laden with blankets and pillows and dumped them all over the living room floor.

At Akira’s confused look, she offered him an explanation.

“You’re probably the least likely teenage boy who is actually into girls to be creepy while we’re asleep. If anything, I feel _safer_ with you in the room with me.”

Shiho nodded in agreement. “Plus you still have that concussion. It’s better for us to be able to keep an eye on you.”

Akira felt a fuzzy warmth settle in his chest.

Ann gave up the couches to her two guests. Akira would have complained, but his entire body _hurt_. He also understood that sometimes people just needed to help in whatever way they can.

Akira fell asleep to the steady breathing of two people he had helped save.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Akira's Getting-The-Shit-Beat-Out-Of-Him Score: 1
> 
> It goes up.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira woke up to an aching head and a sore throat.
> 
> “Maybe you should stay home,” Ann said around a mouthful of cereal. Akira buried his head in his arms.
> 
> “I can’t” he said, barely audible, “I’ll have to tell Sojiro because the school will call him. That’s too much explaining.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting this at work in between patients hoping I don't get caught. Hope you guys have had a great week so far!
> 
> Enjoy :)

Akira woke up to an aching head and a sore throat.

“Maybe you should stay home,” Ann said around a mouthful of cereal. Akira buried his head in his arms.

“I can’t” he said, barely audible, “I’ll have to tell Sojiro because the school will call him. That’s too much explaining.”

“Sojiro? Is that who you live with? Is he your uncle or something?”

“Nope. My parents barely know him.”

“Huh.”

“Plus we have that project we’re working on.”

Ann looked confused. “What project?”

“The _project_ , Ann.”

“Oh! Right! Yeah! _That_ project.” Ann laughed nervously. Akira would have slammed his head into the countertop in exasperation if he didn’t already have a concussion. Shiho watched the exchange with keen interest, but she didn’t ask.

“And I want to see Ryuji.”

Ann wrinkled her nose. “Why?”

“Because I like him. And he’s the nicest to me.”

“ _I’m_ nice to you!”

“He’s nicer.”

“How is _he_ nicer?”

Akira didn’t answer. He closed his eyes and tried to ignore the throbbing against his skull.

Shiho, who had been watching the exchange with a bemused expression, sighed. “You should drink some water, Akira.”

“Water doesn’t solve anything.”

“It solves dehydration. Here.” She poured him a cup of water and placed the glass in front of him. Akira took a sip. It actually felt pleasant going down his wrecked throat, but he refused to admit it.

“Where’s Morgana?” Akira asked.

Ann shrugged. “He wanted to wander.”

“Who’s Morgana?” Shiho asked.

“A stray cat we found. We’ve been taking turns taking care of him,” Akira supplied smoothly, before Ann could attempt any more of her awkward acting.

“Isn’t Morgana a girl’s name?”

Akira laughed. “That’s what I said. It was on his collar.”

“Oh.”

There was a beat of silence. Ann crunched on her cereal.

“You’re not going to practice today, right Shiho?” Ann asked suddenly. Shiho paled and shook her head.

“No. I don’t think I could manage it even if I wanted to. I think… I think I’m going to tell my parents everything. Maybe ask them if I can transfer out of Shujin. I don’t feel safe there anymore.”

Akira nodded in agreement. “I think that’s a good idea,” he said gently.

“What about you guys? I can’t imagine that he’ll just leave you alone. What are you going to do?”

Akira and Ann exchanged a glance. When they both turned back to Shiho, their eyes were burning with the same fire.

“We’ll figure something out.”

* * *

Akira and Ann walked through the door to the roof. Ryuji and Morgana were already there.

“Hey guys!” Ryuji greeted cheerfully. His mood visibly plummeted when he saw the grim lines on his friends’ faces.

“What happened,” Morgana asked.

They told them what happened.

Ryuji, predictably, took it horribly.

“What the fuck!” Ryuji shouted. He kicked an empty chair in a fit of rage. It toppled over with a loud clatter. Akira flinched at the noise.

“Calm down, Ryuji!” said Ann.

“No! Akira, lemme see your neck!”

“What?” Akira asked, taking a step back from Ryuji’s anger. His chest had felt tight since he had woken up in Ann’s living room, and Ryuji’s shouting was putting him on edge.

“Your voice sounds all funny!” Ryuji snapped. He seemed undeterred by Akira’s hesitance. “You said he put his hands on you, right? That bastard!”

Ryuji was in Akira’s space before he could tell him to fuck off. If it had been anyone else, Akira probably would have lashed out on instinct. Since it was Ryuji, his shoulders only tightened.

Ryuji’s hands were surprisingly gentle as they tugged down his turtleneck. Shivers skittered down Akira’s spine at the feeling of hands on his throat, even though they were benign. He had to remind himself to breathe.

A dark look passed over Ryuji’s face as he saw the bruise coloring Akira’s skin.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Akira registered that Ryuji had realized what Kamoshida had done entirely on his own with little evidence. It was a harsh reminder that Ryuji had a history with abusive men that stretched much further back than anyone else’s on that roof.

He wondered what memories his bruise brought to the surface.

Akira took the itching beneath his skin, the tightness in his chest, the aching in his head, and wrapped them up in a neat bow. Then he shoved them so far back into the recesses of his mind that he could pretend, just for a moment, that he was okay enough to be who he used to be.

“Ryuji,” said Akira, his voice an unshakeable calm. He wrapped a steadying hand around Ryuji’s wrist. _“_ I’m _okay.”_

Ryuji closed his eyes. For a moment none of them spoke. Then he slumped forward, pressing his forehead against Akira’s shoulder.

“M’sorry. I’m just fucking _pissed_.”

“I know. So am I.”

Something in Akira’s voice must have been scary, because two pairs of blue eyes widened at him. He felt Ryuji tense. The uneasiness resurfaced, and Ryuji suddenly felt oppressively close.

Akira took a deep breath. His lungs still felt as though he was missing air.

He patted Ryuji on the back and stepped away from him. Akira ignored the dizziness in his head that could’ve come from either the concussion or the way his lungs never seemed to work properly.

He addressed the entire group.

“We need to take Kamoshida down, and we need to do it _soon_. He _will_ retaliate in some way – we can’t let him.” Akira’s voice was surprisingly steady. He took a moment to congratulate himself.

The tension that had built over their heads dissolved.

“He’s right,” said Morgana. The cat sat down on the table, his tail curling neatly over his paws. “With Akira as backup, I think we’ll be able to make it to the Treasure today if we push ourselves.”

“It’s about damn time,” said Ryuji. His hands curled into fists at his sides.

Ann’s expression was fierce. “Let’s get this done boys.”

* * *

They did make it to the Treasure. Ryuji volunteered to write the calling card. They were all about to topple over due to exhaustion, but they agreed to finish it tomorrow.

They were sick of seeing Kamoshida’s face in the halls.

* * *

Akira stumbled into Leblanc, dead on his feet. When he saw who was sitting at the counter, he froze in place. For a fierce moment, he was certain that his concussion was making him hallucinate.

_No way._

Akechi was perched at his usual seat, chatting pleasantly with Sojiro.

_No fucking way._

Akechi turned when he heard the door open.

“Oh! It’s you!”

Fuck.

Akira stared at Akechi for a moment, before turning to walk back out the door.

“Hey! Don’t be rude to my costumers! Where the hell are you going?” asked Sojiro.

“The bathhouse,” said Akira, hand on the door handle.

“I don’t mind,” said Akechi, laughing. “He’s probably just embarrassed.”

“What?” said Sojiro with a snort. “Did he try to flirt with you and it went terribly wrong?” He had a grin on his face that clearly stated that he was joking.

“Something like that,” Akechi replied cheerfully.

Sojiro blinked. “Huh,” he said. “I wouldn’t have guessed that you were his type.”

Akechi only laughed again.

Akira was going to murder him.

Akechi was, without a doubt, the legitimate _worst_ person in all of Japan. 

Akira slammed the door behind him. The loud noise sent pain shooting through his skull, but the dramatic gesture was worth it.

His brain chanted _he’s the worst, he’s the worst, he’s the worst_ all the way to the bathhouse.

* * *

  
“Are you gay?” Sojiro asked when he walked back into Leblanc. “I’m not judging or anything. Just curious.”

Akira wished he had stayed dead. He took a moment to entertain a few fantasies of ending Akechi’s life.

After taking another moment to remind himself that Akechi was not worth becoming a murderer for, he snapped, “No.”

He proceeded to stomp up the stairs.

“So you don’t like guys then?” Sojiro sounded confused.

Akira closed his eyes and begged for his life to stop fucking with him. Just this once.

“That’s not what I said,” Akira said, not looking back at Sojiro. “And I didn’t flirt with Akechi - I hate him.”

There was a beat of awkward silence.

“How can you not be-”

“I am _not_ having this conversation right now.”

Twenty minutes later, Sojiro walked into Akira’s attic.

“You’re bisexual,” he said, as if he had figured out some incredibly difficult mathematic equation.

Akira gave him a thumbs up from where he was lying face down on a pillow.

“Huh.”

“Can we stop talking about this now?”

“Sure. I’m locking up for the night.”

“M’kay.”

Great. It had been bad enough every time Akira had made friends with girls in the last timeline. Now Sojiro was going to give him meaningful glances anytime he talked to anyone attractive around his age – basically all of his friends.

Ugh.

* * *

****

Akira woke up at approximately four o’clock in the morning. The first thing he registered was the headache that he’d carried around with him for two days now. The next thing he noticed was the way his stomach was churning with anxiety.

He stared up at the ceiling for one minute… then two… then three…

Damn.

He rolled onto his side, curling up and burrowing himself into his blanket. He squeezed his eyes shut. He told his nervousness to shut the hell up.

Sleep continued to evade him.

 _This is not working_ , his brain supplied helpfully.

Wow, really? No shit.

 _You have to pee_ , his bladder told him.

No he didn’t. Fuck off. Let him sleep.

 _Get the hell up,_ his common sense told him.

 _Nah,_ said his laziness.

“Oh my god,” said Akira.

He forced himself out of bed. Somehow, he didn’t die on the way to the bathroom. He decided that walking down the stairs at four in the morning with a migraine was one of his least favorite activities – topped only by dying and watching his friends die… and maybe having any conversation with Akechi that was longer than thirty seconds.

 _This is really nice_ , he thought to himself as he walked into the bathroom. _Having a concussion and getting five hours of sleep before stealing a Treasure? Also not having a Persona for some fucking reason? Yeah this is really nice. I really enjoy my life. I want to live like this forever._

He was in a really great mood.

He wished that he had gone to see Takemi at some point in the past week. He would’ve invested in some decent painkillers. They would have dealt with his headache with no problem. Maybe he’d go after they finished with Kamoshida.

He caught sight of the bruise that wrapped around his neck in the mirror.

Yeah… maybe not. She’d definitely notice it, and she’d definitely want to know where he had gotten it.

Well, it might not be so much of a problem after Kamoshida confesses – he could just tell her to turn on the news.

* * *

**_The Phantom Thieves_ **

**_4:45 AM_ **

_Joker: ryuji_

_Joker: how does the calling card look?_

**_7:02 AM_ **

_Panther: im ready to go treasure hunting today!_

_Panther: (_ _๑_ _•̀_ _ㅂ_ _•_ _́) و_

_Panther: wait akira why were you up at 4 am_

_Joker: uh_

_Skull: dude._

_Skull: first of all its awesome_

_Skull: second of all why didnt you sleep_

_Joker: sleep is for the weak_

_Panther: morgana is losing it_

_Panther: he’s screaming_

_Panther: he’s yelling that we’re stealing the treasure today and you’re going to get us killed_

_Joker: it’ll be fine_

_Panther: he’s threatening to move in with you to make sure you sleep like a regular human_

_Joker: oh fuck not again_

_Skull: again??_

_Joker: i didnt say that_

_Skull: yeah you did_

_Joker: no._

_Skull: you’re so fucking weird man_

**_Private Message_ **

**_7:16 AM_ **

_Ann: are you okay?_

_Akira: ???_

_Akira: im fine_

_Ann: not even a little nervous?_

_Akira: nope._

_Ann: you are such a teenage boy_

_Akira: you wound me_

_Ann: good_

_Ann: (҂_ _⌣_ _̀__ _⌣_ _́)_

* * *

Like in the last timeline, Ryuji posted the calling cards all over the school before classes started. Akira and Ann leaned against the wall, talking in hushed tones when Kamoshida caught sight of the commotion. They silently watched his face turn red as he read the calling card.

“Get to class!” he snarled. The kids lingering around the bulletin board scattered. Kamoshida turned to see Ann and Akira studying him.

“What?” he snapped.

A smile broke out on Akira’s face, pleasant on the surface, but with an edge to it sharper than a knife.

“I just wanted to wish you a pleasant day, _Kamoshida-sensei_.”

Akira sauntered off before Kamoshida could say a word. Ann scrambled to catch up.

“Do you have _any_ fear for your safety?” she hissed to him when they sat down in their seats.

“Hmm. Probably like… two.”

“What does that even _mean_?”

* * *

The Palace was on high alert. They had Akira lead the way, despite him not having a Persona, because he was the most capable when it came to avoiding Shadows. The familiarity of having them follow behind him was enough to make him feel nostalgic. He had missed this.

The Treasure was once again a massive crown. Akira, Ann, and Ryuji struggled to carry it between them. Then it was gone from their hands, and Kamoshida held it in his.

Joker pulled out his pistol and fired.

He was sick of hearing the antagonists monologue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who is curious, I don't plan on rewriting scenes that the game has already covered. Which means that I'm not going to subject you guys to 2,000 words of my terrible action writing for each boss fight at the end of the Palaces. I'm also not going to rewrite social links, though a lot of them will show up in brief scenes. I intend to focus on the parts of the game that I'm changing. Hope this clears some things up!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What should we do with this?” Ryuji asked, holding up the gold medal he’d hastily shoved into his bag.
> 
> “Put that away!” Ann hissed.
> 
> “Let’s sell it,” said Akira.
> 
> “Guys! You can’t just be waving around Olympic medals!” said Morgana.
> 
> “It’s fine. No one in here cares,” said Akira.
> 
> Morgana briefly had a conniption.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Akechi Appearance 
> 
> This is only a filler chapter, so I'm just throwing it out here. Enjoy!

The fight with Kamoshida was _hard_.

It hadn’t been necessarily easy the first time around, but they’d had Akira and his Personas. They went into this battle with half of the firepower and half of the support Akira remembered.

Akira found himself shouting orders at his teammates. None of them hesitated to listen to him. In the heat of the battle, he didn’t stop to question this.

(Later, staring up at the ceiling in Leblanc, he’ll question everything.)

Finally, they had Kamoshida on his knees. He sobbed and begged for forgiveness. Ann yelled at him to get his shit together and start acting like a decent human being.

The walls of the Palace began to collapse. They ran. Ryuji stumbled and fell, but Akira was next to him this time. He grabbed his arm and hauled him upwards.

They escaped the Metaverse unscathed.

* * *

The team ended up at Big Bang Burger. Akira wondered if he could even complete the challenges he used to mow down. Probably not. He’d found that a side effect of dying was losing his appetite.

He just ordered some fries. He fed them to Morgana underneath the table.

The four of them were exhausted – too tired to be loudly victorious. For a minute they picked at their food in silence.

“What should we do with this?” Ryuji asked, holding up the gold medal he’d hastily shoved into his bag.

“Put that away!” Ann hissed.

“Let’s sell it,” said Akira.

“Guys! You can’t just be waving around Olympic medals!” said Morgana.

“It’s fine. No one in here cares,” said Akira.

Morgana briefly had a conniption.

“How much d’you think it’d go for?” asked Ryuji.

“Eh, probably around 30,000 yen. We’d get way more if we could sell it without seeming shady.”

“For real?!”

“Oh! I know!” said Ann, “There’s this buffet place that I’ve been wanting to check out but it’s super expensive! If we had 30,000 yen, we could get in with no problem!”

“Sounds like a party!” said Ryuji.

Akira munched on a fry.

“We’d have to sneak Morgana in though,” Ann said.

“That’s all part of the fun,” Akira told them, reaching over to steal some of Ryuji’s fries.

“Hey! You have your own!”

“Those are for Morgana.”

“Take _his_ then!”

* * *

Ryuji went with Akira to Untouchable. Morgana had wanted to come as well, so he was hiding in Akira’s bag. The extra weight felt achingly familiar.

Ann was not getting his cat back.

“30,000 yen,” said Iwai.

“50,000.”

Iwai groaned. “Why do you always have to give me a hard time?”

“It’s part of my charm,” said Akira with a grin.

Ryuji and Morgana listened to the exchange with a sort of horrified fascination.

“No, it’s not. You’re just obnoxious. 30,500 yen.”

“No deal.”

Iwai groaned again. “You’re the worst.”

Akira laughed.

“40,000 yen. That’s it. I refuse to go higher than that for a fake medal being sold to me by a pair of teenagers.”

“How do you know it’s fake?” asked Akira.

“Because I don’t want to consider the possibility of it being real. 40,000 or nothing.”

Akira stared at him for a moment. “You really won’t go higher?”

“No.”

Akira sighed, like he wasn’t earning 10,000 more yen than he had expected.

“Fine. Hand it over, Ryuji.”

Akira also bought a new pistol to make up for the hassle. He had hummed happily as he dissembled it. Iwai, who already had a healthy respect for him, grinned. Morgana and Ryuji had been mildly alarmed.

* * *

“Dude, you scare me,” said Ryuji while they were walking out of the store.

“He’s just got guts!” said Morgana, his head popping out of Akira’s bag. “It’s impressive!”

“Yeah sure. How have you lived this long?” Ryuji asked jokingly.

The sheer irony nearly brought Akira to his knees. He only shrugged. They walked in silence for a bit.

“So, one hell of a first week huh,” said Ryuji.

Akira paused. “It’s only been a week?”

Ryuji laughed. “Yeah, but it feels like I’ve known you forever. With everythin’ that’s happened too, it feels like it’s been months since this Monday.”

They had beat Kamoshida’s Palace in a _week_.

“How did we manage all that in a week?” Akira asked.

“I dunno man. Progress was a lot slower before you came along.”

“That’s true,” said Morgana. “You always seem to know the right way to go. We went in circles before you showed up!”

Oh. Had he really contributed that much?

“Crap! Where am I going to sleep tonight? Lady Ann is long gone!” Morgana said, interrupting Akira’s existential crisis.

“Why didn’t you think about that before you came along?” asked Ryuji.

“I just didn’t okay!” Morgana snapped.

“You can stay with me from now on if you want,” said Akira, “I know Ann’s parents won’t approve of her having a pet when they get back from their trip.”

“Will whoever you live with be cool with that?” asked Ryuji.

Akira shrugged. “It’ll be fine.”

Morgana’s ears drooped. “I wanted to keep living with Lady Ann.”

“That sounds kinda creepy,” said Ryuji.

“Shut it, Ryuji!”

* * *

**_The Phantom Thieves_ **

**_9:47 PM_ **

_Panther: oh wait_

_Panther: morgana_

_Joker: hes moved in with me_

_Panther: oh good_

_Panther: i was worried about what to do when my parents get back_

_Skull: has he yelled at you to sleep yet_

_Joker: no but hes glaring at me_

_Joker: bold of him to assume i will be going to bed before 3 am tonight_

_Skull: dude_

_Joker: what?_

_Joker: we don’t have school tomorrow_

_Panther: when do you think kamoshida will confess?_

_Skull: i dunno_

_Skull: it did work right?_

_Joker: it did_

_Panther: wow_

_Panther: you’re so sure_

_Panther: that’s kind of reassuring_

_Skull: dudes got a reassuring presence in general_

_Panther: that’s true!_

_Skull: hes also kinda scary_

_Panther: ???_

_Skull: he haggled the super scary tough dude at the air soft place for a better price for that medal_

_Panther: of course he did_

_Panther: how much did you guys get_

_Joker: 40,000 yen_

_Panther: nice one akira!_

_Joker: thanks_

* * *

The next day, Sojiro roped Akira into helping out around the shop. He taught him how to make a decent cup of coffee for the second first time. Sojiro took one sip, then raised a suspicious eyebrow at Akira.

“Have you done this before?”

Akira shrugged. “You’re the first person to ever show me how to make coffee this way.”

_Truth._

“Huh.” Sojiro stared at the cup in his hands. “You’re one hell of a natural then.”

Morgana cracked open an eye from where he was napping on the countertop.

“Seems like you’re a natural at everything,” Morgana commented.

_Stop being so observant, Morgana. You’re starting to feel like Makoto - or even worse, Akechi._

Akira poured himself a cup and took a sip. He sighed; he’d lost his touch.

“What're you moping for?” Sojiro asked.

“Your coffee is so much better,” Akira admitted.

Sojiro laughed, somewhat exasperated but mostly pleased.

“Kid, I’ve been doing this for years. You’ll get there.”

“If you say so, Sakura-san.”

“Oh I guess I never told you. Just call me Sojiro or Boss – it feels weird with you being so formal when you live in my attic. Also, get the cat off my counter.”

Morgana hopped off immediately, grumbling.

Akira went to bed that night with the taste of coffee on his tongue and the warm feeling of family in his chest.

* * *

“This waitin’ is killing me!” Ryuji groaned. They were sitting around at their usual spot on the roof at Shujin.

“Calm down,” said Morgana, “It hasn’t even been a week. He’s probably just adjusting to his change of heart.”

“Still, I understand what Ryuji means – it’s making me anxious too,” said Ann, fiddling with her hair.

Akira sighed and leaned back in his chair. He stared up at the sky. A cloud drifted by, shaped like a cat’s face.

“Hey. It looks like Morgana,” he observed, pointing upwards.

“Are you not worried at all?” asked Ann.

“Nope. I come from the future. This part worked out fine.”

They all stared at him.

“Would it kill you to say _one_ normal thing?” Ryuji asked.

“Probably.”

* * *

**_The Phantom Thieves_ **

**_8:37 PM_ **

_Skull: i need to blow off some steam_

_Skull: you guys wanna come with me to the gym tomorrow_

_Joker: sure_

_Panther: i dont know…_

_Skull: c’mon!_

_Skull: it’ll be a team bonding exercise_

_Joker: you should come_

_Panther: okay fine!_

* * *

Akira didn’t have much love for the gym, but it was still an enjoyable experience. Ann and Ryuji pushed each other to the limit. Akira just spent most of the time laughing at them.

The days passed by with similar normalcy.

Akira applied for his old job at the flower shop. He had named every single flower in the shop with a glance. The owner gawked at him for a moment, before hiring him immediately.

He casually strolled into Iwai’s shop and asked the man if he had any work. Akira swept the floors while maintaining a casual – and somewhat brave – banter with the man.

He worked out with Ryuji, took Ann and Shiho out for crepes, and made coffee with Sojiro. Morgana taught him to make lockpicks, and grew even more suspicious of him when Akira knew exactly what he was doing. He completed homework for school, answered questions in class, and got people whispering when Kawakami congratulated him on getting a perfect score on a difficult quiz.

A week passed, then another, then it was Golden Week.

Kamoshida hadn't shown his face at Shujin since they had changed his heart.

* * *

That Monday, there was no school assembly. Akira guessed that it was because Shiho hadn’t jumped in this timeline. He didn’t consider it to be a loss – if Kamoshida was going to confess, he’d do so anyway.

Sure enough, when Sojiro turned on the news that morning, Akira nearly dropped the coffee mug he was washing.

_“… As of yesterday, world-renowned Olympic gold medalist Suguru Kamoshida has been taken into police custody. Word from the police is that he confessed to taking advantage of his position as a volleyball coach at Shujin Academy to abuse his students…”_

“Woah, wait. Did you know about this?” Sojiro asked.

Akira thought about the fading bruise on his neck. He could feel Sojiro’s eyes on him. He only shrugged. The movement made him splatter water on the counter.

This timeline’s Sojiro, it seemed, would not be satisfied with half answers.

“Did he hurt you?” Sojiro asked, eyes narrowed.

Akira nearly folded at the harsh concern in his voice. He couldn’t bring himself to lie.

“I’m not on the volleyball team.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

They were quiet for a moment. The only noise that filled the room was the sound of the television and the faucet.

Akira rinsed the mug one more time, and then he turned off the water, clenching his jaw.

“He hurt my friends.” Akira’s voice was tight.

Sojiro’s eyes sharpened. “Did you protect them?”

Akira said nothing.

Sojiro sighed. “Damn it, kid. Don’t think I haven’t noticed the way your voice has sounded lately.”

“I caught a cold.”

“I haven’t seen you wear anything but a turtleneck since Thursday.”

“I like turtlenecks.”

“Akira.” Sojiro’s voice was stern. Akira blinked. He hadn’t called him by his name once in this timeline.

Akira rubbed his neck. The bruise ached where his fingers pressed down through the fabric of his shirt.

“It doesn’t matter,” said Akira honestly, “It’s over. He confessed. He’s going to jail.”

Sojiro studied him for a moment before he sighed again. “Fine. I’ll let it go. Are your friends alright?”

Akira’s phone buzzed.

**_The Phantom Thieves_ **

**_9:41 AM_ **

_Panther: TURN ON THE NEWS  
Panther: TUNR ON THE FCKING NEWS_

_Joker: i saw it_

_Skull: saw what?_

_Panther: TURN IT ON_

_Skull: HOKY FUCKING SHIT_

Akira grinned. “They’re great.”

* * *

That day, Akira visited Takemi. He told her about the confrontation he’d had with Kamoshida.

“Why didn’t you visit me earlier?” she asked, scowl on her face, “I could have given you something for the pain.”

“I didn’t want to have to explain," said Akira. He fiddled with his hair. "But he confessed today so…”

“You felt safe coming to me.”

Akira nodded. She pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Are you still getting headaches?” she asked.

“Yes, though I’m not entirely sure it’s still from the concussion.”

“What do you mean?”

Akira shrugged. “I’ve been stressed lately, I guess.”

“Were you getting headaches before the concussion?"

“Sometimes.”

“Hmm.” She tapped her chin in thought. “I’ll prescribe you some painkillers. Your bruise looks like it’s healing nicely – it should be gone by next week.”

Akira shot her a grin. “Thank you.”

Takemi rolled her eyes. “You’re still paying me, you know.”

* * *

They went to the same buffet as they did last time in celebration.

“So this is what high-end dining is like!” Morgana exclaimed. Akira fed him bits of fatty tuna under the table.

Ann took a bite into a slice of cheesecake and sighed happily.

“It was seriously expensive though,” said Ryuji.

“We still have 10,000 left over,” said Akira. Morgana snatched more fish off his plate.

“So that’s what… how much does that leave us?”

“2,500 yen each if we count Morgana,” supplied Akira.

“Why wouldn’t I be counted?” said Morgana. He sounded offended.

Akira shrugged. “Do you really need spending money?”

“Yes! You better save that for me and buy things when I need it!”

“Fair enough.”

Ann checked her phone. Her eyes widened.

“We’ve almost used up all our time!”

“For real?! I’m not finished yet!” said Ryuji.

“I need to finish eating my way through the dessert menu!”

They both scrambled away to get more food.

“They’re kind of similar,” Akira observed, chewing on a piece of sushi.

“Please don’t make that comparison,” said Morgana.

“Why not?”

“… Never mind.”

“Oh wait. You’ve got a crush on Ann and the idea of her being like Ryuji makes you uncomfortable.”

“I do not!” If cats could blush, Morgana’s face would be bright red. His ears were pressed flat to his head.

“Hmm.”

“You like to tease people, don’t you?”

“Why would you ever think such a thing?” Akira asked, entirely deadpan.

Morgana groaned. “You’re the worst.”

* * *

Fortunately, Shido was not at the buffet this time around. Unfortunately, Akechi was.

Even worse – Akechi _approached_ him.

_What the fuck dude? You aren’t supposed to be this annoying until later._

“Kurusu-san!” Akechi said cheerfully. Ryuji looked up from his plate piled with all sorts of meats.

“The hell? You know this guy, Akira?”

“He’s my archnemesis,” Akira told him solemnly.

Akechi laughed. “We’re just acquaintances. We’ve met twice.”

“How do you even know my name? I never told you. Proof that you’re the villainous mastermind that I need to conquer.”

Akechi was smiling. Akira squinted. He couldn’t tell if it was fake. That made him uncomfortable.

“I asked Sakura-san.”

“Oh no,” Akira groaned, “Please never talk to Boss again. Ever.”

“How am I supposed to order my coffee?”

“Just don’t come back to Leblanc. We don’t want you there.”

“Sakura-san says I’m a good customer,” said Akechi. His voice was smug. Akira wanted to punch him.

Ann chose that moment to return.

“Who are y- Oh wait! Is that Goro Akechi?”

Akechi’s smile shifted minutely. Akira only noticed it because he had been studying his face intently.

“Ah yes! It’s always nice to be recognized.” Akechi’s voice was pitched differently too.

Akira had always thought Akechi was a good actor. Now that he knew what he was looking for, Akechi’s tells were obvious.

Akechi had approached Akira out of genuine curiosity. He was now talking to Ann with his best artificially constructed TV persona.

_Ha. Persona._

The realization was enough to give Akira an existential crisis to last him weeks. Instead, he hastily shoved it under the carpet in his brain. It bumped against his memories of everyone he had ever loved dying in front of him.

Great. Fantastic. He really enjoyed his life.

“What? You famous or somethin’?” Ryuji asked.

Akechi’s fake laugh sounded like plastic. His laugh earlier hadn’t sounded like that.

“I’ve only been on a few talk shows. Anyway, Kurusu-san, I wanted to ask you something.”

“What?”

“You go to Shujin right? I’ve noticed your uniform.”

Akira stilled. “You’re asking about Kamoshida, right?”

“Yes. I wanted to start my own private investigation-”

Ryuji cut him off. “Kamoshida was a dick. He deserved to go to jail. End of story.”

Akechi faltered. Something dark flashed in his eyes.

_Yep. Okay. This is where we leave. Can’t having him going apeshit too early on._

“Our time is up,” said Akira.

Ann sighed sadly, staring at her plates of unfinished desserts.

“Ah well, that is a shame. I guess I’ll see you later then?” asked Akechi.

_You mean you’ll invade my home to pressure me for information on the Phantom Thieves._

“I guess,” said Akira.

* * *

**_The Phantom Thieves_ **

**_10:07 PM_ **

_Skull: i have an idea_

_Panther: ???_

_Skull: we should hang out tomorrow_

_Skull it’ll be better in person_

_Joker: you can come over to my place_

_Joker: it should be fine_

_Joker: i’ll make you coffee_

_Panther: oh yum!_

_Skull: i dont like coffee_

_Joker: then i’ll make you hot chocolate_

* * *

Sojiro was tolerant of their presence. His friends were relieved, but Akira hadn’t been worried; he knew Sojiro was actually a big softie.

“I’m going out today, so I’m closing up shop,” Sojiro told him, “Don’t burn the place down. If your friends want anything, serve them.”

And then it was just the four of them.

Morgana took the opportunity to jump on top of the table. Ann scratched behind his ears. He purred happily.

“This place has a nice vibe,” Ann noted.

“D’you actually know how to make coffee?” Ryuji asked him.

Akira shrugged. “I’m not bad at it.”

“Ohh, make me some!” said Ann.

“Wait. I wanna tell you guys my idea first,” Ryuji interrupted.

“What is it?” Morgana asked.

“Well, I’ve been thinkin’-”

“That’s always dangerous,” said Akira.

“Hey! Lemme speak! I was thinkin’ that maybe we should keep bein’ Phantom Thieves.”

“Huh?” asked Ann.

“Well- it’s like- ugh, how do I say it…” Ryuji frowned and scratched his head before speaking up again. “Bad guys aren’t gonna stop being bad y’know, but now we can stop them. I dunno, it just feels like we can do more.”

“With great power comes great responsibility,” Akira intoned.

“Are you quoting Spider-Man?” Ann asked.

“Yes!” said Morgana, leaping to his feet. “I’ve been waiting to hear that!”

“Me quoting Spider-Man?” Akira asked.

He was ignored.

“So what?” asked Ann. “We keep taking down people like Kamoshida?”

Ryuji nodded enthusiastically. “Just think about it! Imagine about how many people we could help!”

“I think the world _needs_ the Phantom Thieves,” said Morgana.

“Exactly!” said Ryuji.

It was weird to watch them be so in sync with each other, but it made Akira smile.

Ann tapped her chin in thought. “Huh, why not? I say we do it!”

They all turned to Akira.

“Akira?” Ryuji asked. “You’re down, right?”

Akira blinked. “Me? I don’t even have a Persona.”

“So?” said Ann, “You handle yourself in there better than me and Ryuji combined.”

“Ann’s right,” said Ryuji, “Actually, I was thinkin’ you’d make a great leader!”

_What?_

“What?” asked Akira out loud.

“I can see that actually,” said Ann, “You basically took over for the fight against Kamoshida. We probably would have lost if you hadn’t given us directions.”

“And being distanced from the fight gives you a more objective point of view!” Morgana chimed in.

“Plus you just kinda seem like a real Phantom Thief,” said Ryuji, “You’re cool.”

A bizarre feeling coiled around his heart and squeezed.

“Oh,” said Akira. He took his glasses off and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“We’re not pressuring you though!” said Ann quickly, “Only if you feel comfortable!”

“No, I’m fine,” said Akira, “I’m just thinking.”

Too much. It wasn’t that big of a deal. He didn’t understand why his stomach was churning with anxiety.

There was a beat of silence.

He swept that anxiety under the carpet as well. He’ll deal with it and his existential crisis later. For now, he let his eyes harden with resolve, because damn it he would _not_ be losing again.

The others watched him with bated breath. He looked up at them. He _loved_ them all so fiercely. He would give up everything for them.

He knew what he was doing. He’d done this all before. He could lead them to victory. No, he _would_ lead them to victory.

He was the only one who could.

“Alright then,” said Akira. His voice felt like jagged shards of glass that gashed the inside of his throat. “Let’s do it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaaaaand that's a wrap on everything Kamoshida! Ugh, I hate that man. Writing him made my skin crawl.
> 
> The Phantom Thieves are back! For real this time! Yay! Poor, traumatized Akira is even their leader again! Hooray! What could possibly go wrong?


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What’s wrong?” he asked.
> 
> She was silent for a moment, expression unusually serious.
> 
> “Is it just me, or is that guy watching us?” Ann asked.
> 
> Akira followed her gaze. His double-take almost gave him whiplash.
> 
> It was Yusuke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everybody say hi to Yusuke! 
> 
> Oh, and we've officially reached 20K words!

When the Phansite finally made its debut online, Akira knew this conversation was going to happen. Even so, he couldn't help but groan when he saw a familiar face marching across the classroom in his direction.

“You’re a Phantom Thief, aren’t you?” said Mishima excitedly, leaning over Akira’s desk in an obvious violation of his personal space.

_Go ahead, Mishima, say it louder so the people across the hall can hear you._

Akira leaned back, blinking up at him with a blank expression on his face.

It wasn’t that Akira disliked Mishima – far from it, actually. It was only that Mishima brought with him a unique sort of irritation that made Akira want to bang his head against his desk.

He refrained from doing so, if only because he was still dealing with a constant low-level headache from his concussion.

“What are you talking about?” he asked, pushing his glasses up his nose.

Mishima laughed. “Oh, you don’t need to tell me. You can’t do anything to implicate yourself, after all. Have you seen that new website that went up? The one about the Phantom Thieves?”

Akira shrugged.

“You should check it out! I think it’d interest you a lot! It’d probably be in the Phantom Thieves’ best interests to keep in touch with its admin, if you know what I mean.”

“Okay,” said Akira.

“Great! Yeah! That’s good. Um-”

“Mishima,” said Akira, cutting him off.

Mishima blinked. “Y-Yes?”

“I know that you were the one who leaked my record to the school.”

Mishima’s expression fell. He studied his shoes.

“I-”

“I don’t really care,” said Akira, cutting him off again. “Though you probably shouldn’t do anything else without asking first. Do you understand?”

Mishima blanched. He nodded frantically.

“Thanks for your help,” said Akira, casting his voice loud enough for the rest of the people in the class. “Your notes are really neat. They’ll help me out a lot later.”

Mishima stared at him blankly, before understanding dawned on his face. “Of course!” he said, voice pitched an entire octave too high to be normal. “Anytime!”

He hurried back to his seat.

The whispers started up immediately. Akira sighed. The entire class probably thought that he was bullying Mishima into letting him copy his homework.

Whatever. It was better than them knowing who he really was.

* * *

The four Phantom Thieves were making their way through the train station when their next fated encounter finally occurred.

Ryuji was pushing their way through the crowd. Akira kept a hand around his companions’ wrists, keeping them linked together in a human chain. Ann chattered about the latest clothing brand she was scheduled to model for the next week. Abruptly, she fell silent.

When Ryuji shoved some guy out of the way, she didn’t even hiss at him to stop being rude.

Akira turned to face her, trusting Ryuji to guide them.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

She was silent for a moment, expression unusually serious.

“Is it just me, or is that guy watching us?” Ann asked.

Akira followed her gaze. His double-take almost gave him whiplash.

It was Yusuke.

Ryuji stopped in the middle of the crowd to take a look. A few people hissed at them when they started to block the flow of traffic.

“Yeah. Dude’s been staring at us for the past five minutes.”

Yusuke kept on staring at them, entirely unbothered by the way the trio now stared back.

Akira’s grip on his friends’ wrists tightened in a desperate attempt to keep himself grounded.

Yusuke was _alive._

Logically, he’d known that. It was different though, to see his friend alive and breathing without blood running down the side of his face.

“Who?” Morgana asked. Curiosity got the better of him, and he popped his head out of Akira’s bag. “Oh. He looks sketchy.”

Akira took a breath. “Let’s go talk to him,” he said once his head stopped spinning.

“Hey! Wait a second!” said Ann, but Akira was already approaching him with Ryuji close behind.

“Yo! Why’re you staring at us?” Ryuji asked.

Yusuke blinked.

“Oh, my apologies. I was just enraptured by the image of the three of you. Particularly you.” He turned to Ann. “Such passion in those eyes! And such a beautiful figure. I believe you might just be the woman I’ve been searching for my whole life!”

Ann’s cheeks turned red. “W-what?”

“And you!” he turned to Akira. “The sense of familiarity I felt when I laid my eyes upon you was a truly unique experience. The elegance of your facial structure would be quite magnificent to recreate.”

Akira’s eyebrows shot up. That was new.

“Of course, none of this would be as significant without the contrast you create to the dignity of their image,” he said, nodding to Ryuji.

Ryuji scowled. “I don’t think that’s a compliment.”

Yusuke ignored him. “Would you please model for me?”

Ann’s brows furrowed. “Model?”

“Are you an artist?” Akira asked in an attempt to make Yusuke sound less… _creepy._

“Ah, yes! My name is Yusuke Kitagawa. Hold on a moment.” Yusuke dug through his pockets. “Oh, where did I put them?” He checked his back pockets. “Aha! Here.” he pulled out three tickets and handed them to Akira.

“My sensei, the renowned Madarame, is having an art exhibition soon. Please come. And take my request into consideration. I apologize for having to rush off like this, but I must go.”

And with that, Yusuke hurried off. They stood there in silence for a moment.

“What just happened?” asked Morgana.

“I’m going,” said Akira. He stuffed his ticket into his pocket.

* * *

“You know that guy we took down in Mementos?” Morgana asked.

“You mean Nakanohara?” asked Akira.

“Yes. He mentioned a Madarame after we defeated him. I was wondering where I had heard the name before.”

“Madarame?” said Ryuji.

“The guy Kitagawa-kun told us was his teacher,” said Ann.

“What’re you sayin’? You think this Madarame might be bad?” asked Ryuji.

 _He’s horrible_ , Akira wanted to say.

“It’s worth looking into,” he told them instead.

“I did some research, and he’s pretty famous actually!” Ann supplied.

“He seems to be a much bigger catch than Kamoshida. This would be a good way to get our name out,” said Morgana.

“Sounds like a plan,” said Akira, “We should all keep track of the Phansite in the meantime. Check for any mention of Madarame. Some practice in Mementos would be a good thing too.”

“I hear you loud and clear, leader!” Ryuji said, clapping him on the back.

Ann laughed. “I can’t believe you doubted your leadership skills. You’re the perfect fit!”

Akira swallowed around the lump in his throat. “It must be all that practice I got from doing everything for group projects.”

* * *

**_Private Message_ **

**_12:57 PM_ **

_Mishima: Some guy from the Phansite who says the Phantom Thieves changed his heart wants to meet with them._

_Kurusu: why?_

_Mishima: He wants them to do the same to someone else._

_Kurusu: tell him to leave it on the site_

_Mishima: He says he doesn’t feel comfortable doing that._

_Kurusu: i’ll get back to you_

_Kurusu: remember what i told you_

_Kurusu: don’t do anything on your own_

_Kurusu: don’t know why you’re telling me all this though_

_Mishima: Ha!_

_Mishima: Just thought it might interest you._

* * *

Walking into a museum felt less foreign than it had the last time he had visited this art exhibition. He figured he had Yusuke to thank for that.

Yusuke had noticed them walk in almost immediately. He made his way to them, almost knocking over a few patrons in his excitement.

“You came!” he said. His eyes practically sparkled.

Akira shot him a smile. “Of course.”

“Come! I’ll show you around.”

It became clear that Yusuke was mostly interested in speaking to Ann. Akira wasn’t surprised, only a little disappointed – he’d missed his eccentric friend.

Poor Ryuji looked bored out of his mind.

He nudged him with his elbow. “C’mon, let’s go spy on Madarame.”

Ryuji shot him a grin. “I like the way you think, Joker.”

The pair broke off from Yusuke going on a spiel about how he envisioned painting Ann. Ann sent them a panicked expression. Akira gave her a thumbs up. Ryuji mouthed that they were going to go spy on Madarame. By the confused expression on her face, the message went right over her head.

“Can I come out now?” Morgana asked from his hiding place in Akira’s bag.

“No.”

“You’ll get us kicked out!” Ryuji told him.

Morgana grumbled his annoyance.

They found Madarame being interviewed near the front of the exhibition. They listened for a moment. Neither were impressed.

“He kinda creeps me out,” said Ryuji.

“Agreed.”

“He seems like he’s full of shit.”

“I’d bet money on it.”

Morgana’s muffled voice interrupted them. “You don’t know anything about him. How can you judge him?”

“If you could see that weird smile on his face, you’d be judgin’ him too,” Ryuji said.

* * *

Ann met up with them after Yusuke finished showing her around. She demanded that they buy her crepes to make up for ditching her.

“I ain’t got any money,” said Ryuji.

Akira bought them all crepes.

Both Ann and Ryuji managed to get chocolate all over their faces. Neither of them told the other. It was sort of adorable.

“I think we should keep looking into this,” said Ann. Akira leaned forward and wiped some of the chocolate off her face with his thumb.

“You have chocolate on your face,” he told her.

“Aw man! I was waitin’ to see how long it woulda taken her to notice!” Ryuji complained.

“You have chocolate on your face too,” he told him dryly, reaching up to scrub it off Ryuji's nose.

“For real?!” he exclaimed. He swatted Akira's hand away.

“Why do you say that, Lady Ann?” Morgana asked, putting them back on track.

Ann hummed. “Well, I asked Kitagawa-kun about one of the paintings on display. He got all twitchy. It was really incredible, but he said it wasn’t Madarame’s best piece. He didn’t seem to like it very much.”

“Which doesn’t make sense because he practically worships the ground Madarame walks on,” Akira finished.

“Exactly!” said Ann, “It was weird.”

“I dunno anything ‘bout art, but the dude gives me off vibes,” said Ryuji.

“Seriously? That’s your only contribution?” Morgana asked.

“Always trust your vibes,” said Akira sagely. “Oh, there’s something I want to talk to you guys about.”

“What’s up?” Ryuji asked.

Akira told them about Mishima’s texts.

“Do you think it’s about Madarame?” Ann asked.

Akira nodded. “I’m positive.”

“We gotta talk to him then,” said Ryuji.

“Definitely. I’ve got an idea,” Akira told them.

“You’ll keep your identity hidden?” Morgana asked.

“Of course.”

He would rather not have a repeat of Mishima just exposing their identities on a whim.

“We’ll leave it to you then!” said Ann.

“But hey, doesn’t this mean Mishima knows who you are?” Morgana asked.

Akira shrugged. “I’m not surprised he managed to figure it out. He’s supportive of us. It should be fine.”

“Just be careful,” Morgana cautioned.

“Always," said Akira. He studied Ryuji's face.

"Why're you staring?" Ryuji asked.

"You still have chocolate on your nose," Akira lied.

Ryuji squawked in indignation.

* * *

Akira spotted Natsuhiko Nakanohara leaning against a corner of the wall in the underground mall. Good. He’d followed his instructions. The man was glancing around nervously, eyes scanning the crowds. Akira didn’t know what he was looking for. It wasn’t like the Phantom Thieves were going to show up dressed like stock photos of burglars. They weren’t _that_ obvious.

He considered Ryuji.

Okay, _most_ of them weren’t that obvious.

Akira slipped out of the crowd and settled against the opposite side of the corner; out of Nakanohara’s sight, but within his range of hearing. He pulled out his phone, pretending to scroll through social media.

“Natsuhiko Nakanohara, correct?”

Akira heard a gasp and sensed a body shifting.

“Don’t move.”

Nakanohara froze.

“Why did you want to meet with us?” Akira asked.

There was a beat of silence.

“I used to apprentice under a famous artist. His name is Ichiryusai Madarame. He plagiarizes his students’ work and forces them to stay with him. He even made one of us so desperate to escape he killed himself! Please, stop him from torturing anyone else!”

There was no response. Nakanohara whirled around to check the other side of the corner, but Akira had long since disappeared back into the crowd.

He had saved a recording of the short conversation onto his phone.

* * *

“I knew he was creepy!” Ryuji exclaimed. They were sitting around a table at Leblanc.

Akira took a sip of his coffee.

“The way you met with him was smart,” said Morgana, “but it was risky. There’s a chance he’ll remember what your voice sounds like.”

“It was necessary,” said Akira, “We have all the proof we need that something isn’t right.”

“Poor Kitagawa-kun,” Ann murmured.

“We still need to check if he has a Palace,” said Morgana.

“We can check from here,” said Akira, “Someone with the app try out his name.”

Akira did not sound bitter. Nope. Not at all.

Ryuji pulled out his phone.

“Ichiryusai Madarame.”

_“Candidate found.”_

They all stared at the phone for a moment.

“Well,” said Akira, breaking the silence, “it seems like this is a job for the Phantom Thieves.”

* * *

Akira was washing dishes when Akechi walked in the next day.

Ugh.

“Welcome back,” said Sojrio, “Your usual?”

“Yes please,” Akechi said pleasantly. He caught sight of the chessboard collecting dust on the counter. “May I use that?”

“Sure,” said Sojiro, “I don’t play often anymore. Kid, entertain your friend.”

“He’s not my friend,” Akira protested, “he’s my archnemesis.”

Akechi laughed. “Come beat me in a game of chess then.”

“Are you taunting me? Oh my god you’re taunting me. Let me finish washing my dishes.”

“What kind of teenager wants to wash dishes?” asked Sojiro.

“ _I_ do. It’s soothing – unlike facing off with my archnemesis in a chess game I’m most likely going to lose.”

Akechi laughed again.

Figuring that there was no way to avoid this interaction, Akira dried his hands, hung up his apron, and accepted his fate.

“Do you know how to play?” Akechi asked, setting up the board.

“Yes, but I’m much more familiar with shogi.”

“Hmm. For some reason, it doesn’t surprise me that you play shogi.”

“I’m an intellectual.”

Akechi smiled at that. “Alright then, let us have a battle between two intellectuals.”

They began to play.

“So, I’m hearing that all anyone talks about at Shujin are these mysterious Phantom Thieves.”

Akechi moved a chess piece.

“You don’t have to lead with some pretty words,” said Akira, “you can just ask.”

Akira moved one of his pieces.

“Very well then, I’ll ask. What do you think of them?”

They played in silence for a few seconds.

“Tell me what _you_ think,” said Akira, deftly deflecting the conversation off of him.

“Basic battle tactics – first move has the disadvantage?” Akechi asked. Akira locked eyes with him.

“If you want to have this conversation like a game, then I’ll play it.”

“Ha! How bold of you!”

Akira raised an eyebrow at him. It was Akira's turn, but he made no indication that he was going to make a move.

“I’d say you’re surprisingly cunning, but you _do_ have that look in your eyes,” said Akechi.

Akira shrugged. “So do you.”

“I’d hope so! I am a detective after all!”

_You’re a liar and a murderer. Still cunning, but for all the wrong reasons._

“So? The Phantom Thieves?” Akira prompted.

Akechi furrowed his eyebrows. He looked at the board, game on hold until Akira decided to make his move.

Akira had taken control of the flow of both games in one fell swoop, and Akechi knew it.

“I’m not sure how I feel about the Phantom Thieves,” the faux detective admitted.

“Elaborate.”

Akira moved a piece. The chess game picked up again.

“Well, I can’t say that I disapprove of their intentions, or even their results. I’m more focused on their methods. If people who have the power to truly change a person’s cognition that way-”

“Then they have the potential to be extremely dangerous,” Akira finished.

“Yes, exactly.”

“Kamoshida was dangerous.” Akira’s voice turned to ice.

Sojiro stilled behind the counter.

“Well yes, but-”

“Kamoshida was dangerous, and none of his intentions were good.”

“You’re saying the Phantom Thieves were the lesser of two evils.”

Akira didn’t say anything for a moment.

“I have this friend at Shujin. She’s a beautiful girl – fierce, intelligent – and Kamoshida decided he had taken an interest in her.

“He put her friend as a starter for the team. He told her that if she didn’t go along with his whims, he would remove her friend from the position. For a while, my friend humored him. Eventually she refused him.

“I got a bad feeling one day – a _really_ bad feeling. I called my friend and asked her if her friend had volleyball practice that day. She told me she did.

“I barely made it to Shujin in time to stop him from forcing himself on her, and I got _this_ for my trouble.”

He yanked his turtleneck downwards, revealing the fading bruise that still curled around his neck.

Sojiro inhaled sharply. Akechi’s eyes widened.

“No, I am not saying the Phantom Thieves were the lesser of two evils. I’m saying that they were _necessary_. Without them, Shujin would still be a miserable shithole. Well, more than it is now, anyway.”

Akira moved his piece. Akechi stared at the board.

“Aggressive move. I was not expecting that,” he said, removing his queen from the game.

“Yeah well, you win in two moves anyway.”

Akechi blinked, before looking down at the board. Suddenly, he laughed.

“You kept better track of the game than me. I’d say that’s a win on its own. How about we call this one a draw?”

Akira shrugged. “Sure.”

Akechi stood up. “I apologize, but I should probably get going.”

Akira helped him put the chess board and pieces back into the box. The air between them was charged.

Akechi picked up his briefcase. “Thank you for the coffee, Sakura-san.”

Sojiro grunted. “You paid me.”

Akechi laughed. He paused on his way out to give Akira a scrutinizing look. “You know, I’m not used to being challenged when it comes to games of wit.”

“Maybe you’ve found your archnemesis,” said Akira.

Akechi studied him. Akira really did not like that unreadable look in his eyes.

He smiled, his lips pulling back to reveal gleaming teeth. “Maybe I have.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not going to lie, my favorite parts of this to write are always the Akira and Akechi interactions. However, I always feel like they aren't good enough so I end up writing them over and over again until I give up. 
> 
> I don't know how chess works.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "This guy seriously lives here?” Ryuji asked, staring up at the atelier. Ann stood next to him, gawking with the same expression on her face.
> 
> “This is the address Kitagawa-kun sent me,” she said. She sounded unsure.
> 
> Akira pressed the buzzer. The others hissed at him for doing so without warning them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not too sure how I feel about this chapter. You guys ever have those days where you have no motivation to do anything but lay there like a motionless blob? Yeah, that's today. I didn't revise this chapter as much as I usually do. If you catch any fixable mistakes (such as grammar or syntax) please let me know. 
> 
> Chapters 32 through 34 are killing me. Every time I try to make progress with them, my brain shuts down. 
> 
> Not to worry, I should have my shit together by the time we get there. We're only on chapter eight, after all.
> 
> Anyway, happy reading! I'm out of here to go exist as a motionless blob.

"This guy seriously lives here?” Ryuji asked, staring up at the atelier. Ann stood next to him, gawking with the same expression on her face.

“This _is_ the address Kitagawa-kun sent me,” she said. She sounded unsure.

Akira pressed the buzzer. The others hissed at him for doing so without warning them.

_“Who is it?”_ Yusuke’s voice crackled through the poor-quality speaker.

“I’m Akira Kurusu, here with Ann Takamaki. You asked her to model for you.”

“Ah! Yes! I’ll be there in a moment!”

The patter of his feet as he raced to the door was audible from outside the house. The door slid open, revealing Yusuke. His face was flushed, and his eyes glittered with excitement.

“Wonderful!” he said. “I am truly happy that you came.”

“Hey, ain’t it true that your teacher plagiarizes? I’ve been seein’ some weird stuff on the internet,” said Ryuji, cutting straight to the point.

Akira winced. Yusuke’s expression shifted from gleeful to furious in mere moments.

“How- How _dare_ you make such accusations!”

“It’s just that… they seem pretty real Kitagawa-kun,” said Ann, clearly not taking the hint.

Yusuke’s face was steadily turning red. Time for damage control.

“We were worried about you,” said Akira.

Yusuke blinked. “Worried?”

“Yes. It’s not that we don’t trust your word, it’s just that we have some bad experiences with teachers. We’re kind of paranoid,” Akira admitted.

“Bad experiences?” Yusuke repeated.

“We go to Shujin Academy. I’m not sure if you’ve watched the news recently, but one of our teachers was just arrested for abusing his students.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. When we heard some sketchy things about a teacher… well, we jumped to all the wrong conclusions. I’m sorry if we offended you,” said Akira, bowing his head.

“No it’s alright. I believe I understand. I _have_ taken notice of all the foul rumors regarding my sensei as of late, but I assure you that they are false.”

Akira smiled. “That’s good to hear.”

“ _Nice save,”_ Morgana whispered from his bag.

“Was that a cat I heard?” Yusuke asked. “Ah well, it doesn’t matter. I apologize for the inconvenience, but today isn’t an ideal time for me. Is there any chance we could begin later this week?”

“Yes of course! We probably should have warned you we were on our way in the first place,” said Ann. Then she frowned. “I have shoots after school for the rest of this week though.”

Yusuke studied Akira. His brow furrowed. Akira stared back silently.

“That’s alright, we can begin later. Are you available tomorrow?” he asked Akira.

Huh.

“Yeah I am. I thought you wanted to paint Ann, though?”

“Indeed I do. However, I believe you would be an intriguing subject as well. There’s just something about you…” he trailed off.

Akira shrugged. “Sure. I’ll see you tomorrow. Let’s exchange contact info.”

* * *

“You’re a good actor Akira. It’s kind of scary,” said Ann.

“He just has the proper skills of a Phantom Thief!” Morgana said.

Akira rolled his eyes. “You two were just a train wreck waiting to happen.”

“Seriously dude?” asked Ryuji.

“Ryuji, I love you man, but you have absolutely no tact.”

Ryuji protested loudly. Ann snickered.

“You’re not much better, Ann.”

“Ha!” exclaimed Ryuji.

The four of them stood across the street from Madarame’s house.

“Can we focus please?” Morgana asked. “We have the place and the name, we just need the distortion.”

Ann pulled out her phone and opened the MetaNav.

“We should probably just start saying random ideas,” she said.

“For real? That’ll take forever, and I’ve got nothin’,” said Ryuji.

“Museum.”

_“Candidate found. Beginning navigation.”_

“That’s our Joker!” said Ann.

Morgana squinted at him suspiciously.

* * *

Staring at Yusuke’s portrait, Akira felt a familiar anger bubbling underneath his skin. He clenched his jaw.

“We’re doing this, right? It’s unanimous?” Akira’s voice was as hard as flint.

“Fuck yeah,” said Ryuji, “this guy needs to be taken down.”

Ann nodded. Her hands were curled into fists.

“I’m with you,” said Morgana.

“Good,” said Akira, “because I don’t think I could live with myself if I didn’t help him.”

Ryuji placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed.

“We’ll help him man.”

* * *

“What I don’t get,” said Ryuji as they walked back to the station, “is why Kitagawa didn’t just say Madarame was stealing his shit.”

“Yeah, it’s a bit weird,” said Ann. “I almost believed him too – he was so angry.”

Morgana hummed. “He must have some emotional reason for not being able to see things clearly.”

“I’ll talk to him tomorrow,” said Akira. “Palace on Saturday?”

“Sounds good!”

* * *

Akira had modeled for Yusuke before. Not as much as Ann, but he was familiar with the experience. All of the Phantom Thieves had been the subject of Yusuke’s pencil or paintbrush at one point or another. The only one who had really complained about the process was Ryuji; but every time Yusuke asked, he agreed to it anyway.

Akira remembered flipping through Yusuke’s sketchbook, smiling at the drawings. Ann and Akira had been in there the most. There had been quite a lot of pictures of Futaba too. The two of them had been good friends. Akira hoped he could make that happen again this time around. They both needed someone to hang out with outside of Akira.

Logically, Akira should not be nervous – despite this, as Yusuke riffled through his pencils and flipped to an empty page in his sketchbook, Akira felt a twinge in his gut.

He figured it was because this Yusuke viewed him as a stranger. It was a dissimilar experience, to be studied by the eyes of someone who did not know you.

“Perfect! Ah, just one thing…” Yusuke leaned forward and slid the glasses off Akira’s face. Akira blinked in surprise. Yusuke lifted the glasses up to the light. He frowned.

“These aren’t prescription? Why do you wear them?”

Akira shrugged. “It’s more comfortable, I guess.”

“Well you have striking eyes; it’s foolish for you to hide them.”

And suddenly, Akira remembered why Yusuke’s lack of filter had a bizarre charm. If he believed a person to be aesthetically pleasing, he would simply tell them with absolutely no shame. He had even told Ryuji that he had a “charming grin” at one point, which led to an awkward silence that Yusuke had seemed immune to.

“Oh uh, thanks,” said Akira, ignoring the way his cheeks had started to burn.

They sat in a silence only broken by the scratching of pencil on paper. After about a half hour, Yusuke sighed and put his pencil down.

“It’s no good. I can’t seem to create anything worthwhile,” he said, expression sullen.

“Can I see?” asked Akira.

“Of course. They aren’t much though, just a few sketches.”

Akira peered over Yusuke’s shoulder to check them out. To Akira, they were perfect, if only a bit weird to see him without his glasses. Then he frowned.

“They’re a bit clinical, don’t you think?”

“Yes,” said Yusuke, “I just can’t seem to recreate your presence on paper.”

“Maybe it’s because you don’t know me very well,” said Akira.

Yusuke paused. “Well… I suppose that is a possibility.”

“Let’s go grab some food.”

Yusuke looked a little dumbfounded. “Right at this moment?”

“Yeah, why not? Let’s just chat. Maybe it’ll help if we were friendlier.”

Akira practically dragged Yusuke to the front door.

“Where are you going?” asked a familiar voice.

“Ah! Madarame-sensei!”

Akira turned to see Madarame standing there, watching them with a questioning expression on his face. Yusuke appeared to panic.

_Why are all of my friends useless in any situation outside of the Metaverse?_

“Good afternoon, Madarame-san,” said Akira smoothly, giving a little bow. “I was modeling for Yusuke, but he seems to have hit a bit of a slump. We were going to go out for dinner. Is that alright with you?”

Both Yusuke and Madarame seemed a bit stunned at his impeccable manners.

“Of course that’s alright,” said Madarame, ever the kind old man in front of strangers.

_Bastard._

“Make sure you’re home before it gets too late,” he finished.

“Of- Of course, Madarame-sensei.”

* * *

They sat in Big Bang Burger. Akira munched his way through a regular sized burger. Yusuke was frowning at his fries. He was using one to aimlessly paint pictures with ketchup.

“What’s wrong?” Akira asked him.

“Nothing,” said Yusuke far too quickly.

Akira took a bite of his burger and stared at him, entirely unimpressed. Yusuke nibbled on his french fry paintbrush.

“I suppose I might be overthinking something.”

“Spill it.”

Yusuke sighed. “You referred to me just by my given name. The familiarity caught me off guard. It also felt depressingly foreign.”

Oh fuck. He hadn’t even noticed. He was surprised he'd managed to last so long without any slip ups.

“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. People have told me I get too familiar too quickly.” Akira gave him a sheepish smile.

“No it’s alright… I suppose it’s just because I don’t have any friends to be relaxed with.” Yusuke looked so sad that Akira wanted to pinch his cheeks and force him to smile.

“I want to be friends with you,” said Akira.

Yusuke froze. “You do?” he asked.

“Yeah man. I just sat painfully still for you for thirty minutes and then paid for your dinner. I thought it was obvious. We should be friends.”

Yusuke looked at him as if he had grown two heads.

“You’re serious?”

“Of course I’m serious. You can call me Akira.”

“But… you barely know me?”

_I know you better than you know yourself right now. I know that you’re bitter at your situation with Madarame, despite what you tell yourself. I know that you’re about to fight for your freedom, for the life that you deserve._

Akira only shrugged. After staring at him for a moment, Yusuke laughed.

“Very well then, Akira. Has anyone ever told you that you’re rather odd?”

Akira grinned. “I guess we’re just two peas in a pod.”

Yusuke smiled at him. “I suppose so.”

Akira hated to wipe that happy expression off his face but…

“As your friend, can I ask you a question?”

As if sensing the change in Akira’s mood, Yusuke’s smile disappeared.

“Of course,” he said.

Akira sighed. “Ann told me that you reacted strangely towards one of the paintings at the exhibition. Yusuke… was that painting yours?”

Yusuke’s expression grew pinched. He jabbed a fry so hard into his little pile of ketchup that he squished it into mush.

“… Yes, that painting was mine. Sensei has been… in a slump lately. I’ve just been assisting him make ends meet. It’s the least that I can do.”

“What do you mean?” asked Akira.

“Have you ever seen the _Sayuri_?” Yusuke asked in response.

“I have actually. It’s his most famous painting, right? It’s beautiful.”

“Yes,” said Yusuke, nodding. “Sensei took me in after my mother died. He _raised_ me. I’ve wished to create art that could reach the level of pure beauty the _Sayuri_ displays since I could hold a paintbrush. If Sensei needs assistance, then I will provide it. I owe him.”

_He didn’t make that damn painting and he practically killed your mother_ , a nasty voice in the back of his head snarled. He’d been hearing it more and more lately.

“And you’re okay with that?” Akira asked instead.

“Yes… no.” Yusuke sighed. “To be candid, I’m not sure.”

“Okay,” said Akira with a thoughtful nod.

Akira took the silence as an opportunity to finish the last bite of his burger. His fries remained untouched. His appetite really _had_ left him.

“Are you done?” Akira asked. Yusuke had only eaten a few fries, which made Akira seem as though he had gorged in comparison.

Yusuke nodded.

“Come on then, it’s late. Let’s get out of here.” When Akira stood, he put a gentle hand on Yusuke’s shoulder and squeezed.

“You know… it’s okay to be unsure sometimes.”

The grateful smile Yusuke sent his way gave him heart palpitations.

* * *

**_The Phantom Thieves_ **

**_8:52 PM_ **

_Joker: yusuke and i are friends now_ _(_ _⌒▽⌒_ _)_ _☆_

_Panther: first name basis already?_

_Skull: damn dude_

_Skull: you work fast_

_Panther: you’re so good with people_

_Skull: yeah its kinda weird_

_Joker:_ _(_ _≧◡≦_ _)_

_Panther: why are you acting like you’re in love_

_Panther: i have never seen you use emoticons_

_Joker: well he did say i have nice eyes_ _ヽ_ _(_ _♡‿♡_ _)_ _ノ_

_Skull: dude what the hell_

_Joker: you jelly?_

_Skull: no way!_

_Joker: oh_

_Joker: that’s disappointing_

_Skull: dude_

_Skull: what the hell_

_Joker: anyway back to yusuke_

_Skull: YOU CANT SAY SHIT LIKE THAT AND NOT EXPLAIN IT_

_Joker: he did say that madarame is plagiarizing him_

_Panther: seriously? why wouldn’t he just tell us?_

_Joker: he said that he owes him_

_Joker: madarame raised him_

_Joker: he says that hes just helping him through a “slump”_

_Skull: bullshit!_

_Joker: i know_

_Joker: but you can’t try to change his mind through brute force_

_Joker: i let it go_

_Panther: we need to take him down_

_Joker: agreed_

_Joker: i’m not leaving yusuke alone in that situation_

_Skull: damn right_

_Panther: i can get out of modeling tomorrow_

_Panther: let’s go to the palace then_

_Skull: hell yeah!  
  
_

_Joker: sounds good_

* * *

**_Private Message_ **

**_9:10 PM_ **

_Ryuji: were you just fuckin with me_

_Ryuji: akira_

_Akira:_ _ε=ε=┌( >_<)┘_

_Ryuji: YOU CANT RUN AWAY FROM TEXTS_

_Akira: watch me_

_Ryuji: AKIRA_

_Ryuji: GET BACK HERE_

_Ryuji: AKIRA PLEASE_

**_10:54 PM_ **

_Ryuji: you’re the worst_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No ships here, but Akira likes to shamelessly flirt with everyone. We will continue to see this happen. (And if my AkiRyu preference jumps out a bit, well, who could blame me?)


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So…” Ann trailed off, staring at Yusuke, “when will Madarame-san be home?”
> 
> Yusuke didn’t reply, peering intently at the canvas. She exchanged a glance with Akira. Akira shrugged.
> 
> “Is it alright if I use the bathroom?” Akira asked.
> 
> Yusuke, once again, said nothing.
> 
> “I’ll take that as a yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I think this is the latest I've ever been since I started posting. Sorry about that! My birthday was on Monday and it made my life more hectic than usual.
> 
> Again, please take note of the warnings I put in the end notes. Take care of yourselves everyone.
> 
> Enjoy!

_Akira Kurusu stared up at the sky. It was the color of blood. Droplets of it rained down; pattering against his glasses, running down his face, filling his mouth._

_He could taste it._

_He was with his friends. Or was he? They laughed and talked like nothing was wrong; like the sky wasn’t raining blood._

_Makoto turned to him, her beautiful face contorting in confusion._

_“Do I know you?”_

_He opened his mouth, but it was too filled with the sky to speak._

_“Help us!” voices cried. He whirled around. A crowd of tear streaked faces begged for him, reached for him, pleaded for him to do anything._

_“You’ll help them, won’t you?” said someone. He turned around again. Instead of his friends, he saw himself; masked, with his gloves as red as the sky._

_“You’re supposed to help them,” Joker told him. “It’s what you do.”_

_“I can help you.” It was Akechi. His face was gentle. He pulled out his gun and shot Akira in the stomach._

_Akira stumbled backwards. He crumpled to his knees. His teammates screamed his name. Except they didn’t, because they didn’t know him. He only heard them because he had heard them once before._

_Yaldabaoth laughed._

_Akira’s blood dripped through his fingers; as red as his gloves, as red as the rain, as red as the sky, as red as his distortion._

* * *

Akira jerked awake, breath coming in heaving gasps. He stumbled out of bed, disturbing Morgana.

“Akira?” Morgana asked, half awake.

Akira ignored him. He staggered down the stairs, bolted into the bathroom, and slammed the door shut. He gagged over the toilet, but nothing came out. He couldn’t breathe. Air kept getting caught in his throat. His lungs were too tight. All he could see was red.

He coughed weakly, body shuddering.

“Akira!” Morgana shouted through the door. He sounded worried.

Akira didn’t reply.

“Let me in!”

Akira somehow got his mouth working.

“I’m fine,” he rasped. “Give me a minute.”

He took a moment to get his breathing under control. Then he forced himself to stand and leaned over the sink. He splashed his face with water. His hands were shaking.

Akira glanced at himself in the mirror. His skin was pale. He had dark circles under his eyes. His hair was a mess, strands plastered to his forehead. Water dripped off his nose.

Inhale, exhale.

He grabbed a towel and dried his face off.

Akira opened the door for Morgana, then his legs promptly gave out. He sank down onto the tile floor, leaning against the wall.

Breathing was still proving itself to be difficult.

“Hey,” said Morgana, voice hesitant. He padded into the bathroom. “What happened? Are you sick?”

“Nightmare,” he managed to force out. He dropped his head between his knees, trying to calm down the panic churning in his gut.

“Oh,” said Morgana. The cat paused. “I get those sometimes.”

“They suck.”

“Yeah.”

The silence that followed was sort of awkward, but it wasn’t entirely uncomfortable either.

Suddenly, Akira stood up.

“I’m gonna make coffee.”

Morgana followed him out of the bathroom.

“You sure Boss will be okay with that?”

“No, but it calms me down.”

Akira flipped the lights on and rummaged through the kitchen. Morgana hopped up onto the counter.

“What time is it?” Akira asked.

Morgana checked the clock. “It’s 5:37.”

“Oh good. I didn’t lose too much sleep.”

Morgana watched him work with worried eyes.

“Hey Akira, are you okay?”

“Of course I am,” he replied.

“Can you tell me about it?” Morgana asked. “Was it about whatever happened before you got here?”

Akira accidentally spilled a few drops of water on the counter. It took him a moment to remember that he had told none of them about why he was on probation.

“Something like that,” said Akira, setting the water to boil. “I owe you guys that story. Remind me to tell you sometime.”

“Was it really that bad?” asked Morgana.

“No. What I was dreaming about was worse.”

Sojiro walked in on Akira drinking his fourth cup of coffee and working his way through his homework, with Morgana napping on his lap.

* * *

“Hey man, you alright? You look tired,” Ryuji asked. Akira blinked at him, his exhausted mind taking a moment to catch up.

He tried for a smile. “I’m fine, just had trouble sleeping.”

Ryuji looked unconvinced, but he didn’t press for more answers.

Ann skipped up to them. “Palace today, right?”

“It’s okay if you need a break today, Akira,” said Morgana.

“What? Why…” Ann trailed off when she saw the bags under his eyes.

“I’ll have you all know that these eyebags are strictly for cosmetic purposes. I’m trying the whole tragic anime protagonist look. Of course we’re going to the Palace today. I even got some new medicine from Takemi.”

Morgana shuddered. “I don’t know how you stand those experiments.”

“It’s all for a good cause,” Akira said cheerfully. “I have to go check out a book from the library. We’ll ride the train together, yeah?”

“Yeah dude, see you later,” said Ryuji.

As he walked away, the two blonds exchanged worried glances.

* * *

“The hell? How’re we supposed to get through?!” Ryuji shouted. His frustration was evident in his tone.

“Hmm. We’ll probably need to change his cognition in the real world,” said Morgana.

“Huh?” asked Ann.

Akira stared at the absurd door. The gaudy design and colors made him feel nauseated, which was probably a result of time spent with Yusuke.

“You know… when I went to Madarame’s house I saw a door like this.”

He hadn’t, but he knew it was there.

“We just need to have him see us open this door, right?” he asked Morgana.

“You catch on quick! You’re exactly right!” said Morgana.

“That… actually kind of makes sense,” said Ann.

Ryuji looked entirely lost. “I’ve got no clue what that means.”

“We’ll talk about it later,” said Akira. “For now, let’s get out of here.”

* * *

Ohya was once again standing outside Madarame’s house, generally looking suspicious and taking pictures.

“What are you doing?” Akira asked her. She jumped about five feet in the air.

“Holy crap! I didn’t see any of you! How did you do that?”

The trio exchanged a glance.

“We’re sneaky,” said Akira. Ryuji snorted. “Why are you standing outside some random person’s house looking sketchy and taking pictures?”

“I’m a journalist!” she said with a grin as if that explained everything. Akira supposed that it did. “The guy that lives here is a famous artist. I’ve heard that he’s plagiarizing, so I decided to do a bit of an investigation. You guys know anything about that?”

“U-Um, well,” Ann stuttered, immediately making them look suspicious. Akira wondered if she would be offended if he taped her mouth shut.

“Nah,” said Ryuji, “we don’t live ‘round here. Just passin’ through.”

“Huh,” said Ohya, squinting at them. “Well, if you hear anything go ahead and contact me.” She handed Akira her business card.

“See ya!” she said with a wave. Then she sauntered away.

“She seems like she might have some good info,” said Morgana. “Don’t lose that card, Akira.”

Akira tucked it into his pocket.

* * *

**_Private Message_ **

**_7:35 PM_ **

_Akira: ann says that she can make it tomorrow if you want to start working on that piece you want her to model for_

_Akira: her other modeling gig got canceled_

_Yusuke: Of course I would like to begin!_

_Yusuke: I am quite excited._

_Yusuke: The inspiration I receive from merely gazing upon her is astounding._

_Akira: is it cool if i tag along?_

_Yusuke: Yes, of course._

_Akira: great_

_Akira: see you tomorrow_

* * *

“So…” Ann trailed off, staring at Yusuke, “when will Madarame-san be home?”

Yusuke didn’t reply, peering intently at the canvas. She exchanged a glance with Akira. Akira shrugged.

“Is it alright if I use the bathroom?” Akira asked.

Yusuke, once again, said nothing.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

Yusuke showed no outward reaction as Akira slipped out of the room. He walked through the hall, digging his lockpick out of his pocket. He stopped at the door and stared at the ridiculously large lock – how Yusuke never found it to be suspicious, he would never understand. Akira got to work.

“ _You want me to model nude?!”_ Ann’s shriek was so loud it carried throughout the house. Akira muffled his laughter against his hand.

It took a few more minutes before Akira succeeded. There was a satisfying click as Akira bested the lock. It fell to the ground, utterly defeated.

 _I am indeed a true Phantom Thief,_ he thought to himself, unable to feel anything but haughty.

Akira heard the front door open as Madarame entered the house.

“Akira!” Ann shouted as she marched down the hall. “We’re leaving!”

“Takamaki-san! Please reconsider my request!” Yusuke called after her, following behind her.

“Woah,” said Ann, coming to a halt behind Akira. “It really looks just like the door in the Palace.”

Yusuke rounded the corner and froze, staring at the unlocked door. “What are you…”

Akira pushed the door open.

“Wait!” said Yusuke. “We’re not supposed to go in there!”

Akira walked in.

“Akira!” Yusuke hissed.

Ann grabbed Yusuke’s arm and tugged him into the room.

The trio stared at the dozens of the counterfeit copies of the _Sayuri_ piled into the room. There were so many, all shoved haphazardly into spare space with absolutely no respect for their image – some were even gathering dust.

“What… what _is_ this?” Yusuke asked.

“Your teacher’s source of cash,” Akira told him, expression grim.

“Wasn’t the _Sayuri_ supposed to be missing?” Ann asked.

“Yes, I- I don’t understand what this is.” Yusuke’s voice shook. Akira felt his hands curling into fists.

“Yusuke? What is going on here?”

The three of them whirled around to see Madarame standing at the door.

“Sensei! Explain what this is!” Yusuke demanded.

Madarame paused. Akira could see him going through options, attempting to figure out the best way to salvage the situation.

“Yusuke… You know I’ve been in a slump ever since the _Sayuri_ was stolen. This was just my way of attempting to make ends meet. I had to care for you after all!”

“That’s…” Yusuke frowned at the floor.

“By selling fake copies of your famous painting?” Ann asked. “Are you really using him as an excuse?”

Something in the back of the room caught Akira’s eye. It appeared to be a covered painting, propped on an easel.

_Why would he bother covering a counterfeit?_

“Yusuke,” said Akira, getting his friend’s attention. He pulled the sheet off the painting.

Yusuke gasped. “That is the real _Sayuri_! Sensei, explain yourself!”

Madarame’s eyes widened. “That- That’s a fake as well!”

“No, it is not! I will hear no more of your lies! I would recognize that true painting anywhere! Answer me with honesty!”

Akira watched Madarame’s expression change as he realized the situation as no longer salvageable. His mouth twisted into something ugly.

“I’ve called my private security. They’ll be here within minutes. You will all be arrested.”

“Sensei, what-”

“Even you, Yusuke.” Madarame’s expression was cruel.

Ann and Akira exchanged glances.

“Come on!” Ann shouted. She grabbed Yusuke’s arm and darted past Madarame. Akira followed behind her.

“Use the MetaNav!” he told her.

“But-”

“We’ll bring him with us!”

Yusuke looked equal parts panicked and confused. “What is going on?”

“We’ll explain later,” Akira told him as Ann pulled out her phone. She jabbed her finger against the screen, and suddenly all three of them were falling.

* * *

They landed in a pile of flailing limbs.

“Akira! Get your foot out of my face!” Ann complained.

“I’ll have you know that my feet are lovely.”

“Hey! Don’t touch me there!”

“Oh! I’m quite sorry,” said Yusuke, sounding flustered.

“Yo!” said Ryuji, jogging up to their pile. “It worked!”

“Wait, why did you bring _him_ with you?” asked Morgana.

“It’s a long story,” said Akira from where he was still sprawled out on the floor.

“ _Eep! Shadows!”_ shrieked Ann. Akira scrambled up and they bolted.

* * *

Watching someone awaken to their Persona was always breathtaking. Yusuke’s icy rage was beautiful. Akira felt the hole in his heart fill in a bit more as Yusuke fought by their side.

“You’ll have me with you?” asked Yusuke afterwards, while they were all catching their breath.

Akira studied the shape of his mask with something like reverence. He smiled. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

* * *

The four of them stumbled into Leblanc, utterly exhausted. Ryuji and Ann greeted Sojiro casually, Yusuke bowed and thanked him for his hospitality, then the three of them climbed the stairs up to Akira’s attic. Sojiro watched them with bemused expression on his face.

“You have attractive friends,” he noted.

Akira groaned.

“I’m just saying,” he said, holding his hands up in surrender.

Akira marched to the stairs. Then he paused.

“Thanks, Sojiro.”

Sojiro blinked. “For what?”

Akira shrugged. “For letting me have friends over… and for some other stuff.”

“Oh stop getting all sentimental. Go have fun with your friends.” He made a shooing motion with his hands.

Akira laughed.

“Maybe ask one of them out while you’re at it.”

“Oh my _god_.”

Akira hesitated before heading up the stairs, fidgeting awkwardly.

Sojiro raised an eyebrow. “What is it?”

“… Yusuke is having some problems where he lives and-”

Sojiro cut him off with a sigh. “Yes, he can stay. I’ve already got one freeloader. What difference is another?”

Akira practically beamed.

* * *

**_The Phantom Thieves_ **

**_9:32 PM_ **

_Fox: Thank you all, for this evening._

_Fox: I think I understand myself much better now._

_Skull: getting a persona feels that way doesn’t it_

_Panther: yes!!_

_Panther: it’s incredible!_

_Panther:_ _☆_ _*:._ _｡_ _.o(_ _≧▽≦_ _)o._ _｡_ _.:*_ _☆_

_Skull: i think that ones too much_

_Panther: i think it’s perfect!_

_Fox: I am truly grateful for the opportunity to express myself in this way._

_Joker: im glad you all are happy_

_Skull: dude you gotta get one too at some point_

_Panther: i don’t get how you don’t have one already!_

_Fox: I do not understand it either._

_Fox: I believe you are more fit for this role than any of us._

_Joker: thanks guys_

_Joker: but it’s cool_

_Joker: i don’t mind_

_Panther: good!_

_Panther: you don’t need one anyway!!_

_Yusuke: You are truly incredible within the Metaverse._

_Yusuke: Someday I wish to capture you wielding your pistol on a canvas._

_Joker: oh stop it i’m blushing_

_Joker:_ _(_ _￣_ _▽_ _￣_ _*)_ _ゞ_

_Skull: every time you use an emoticon i feel uncomfortable_

* * *

**_Private Message_ **

**_11:03 PM_ **

_Ryuji: why do i feel like you’re full of shit_

_Akira: because i usually am_

_Akira: about what though?_

_Ryuji: about you not caring if you don’t have a persona_

**_Akira is typing…_ **

****

_Ryuji: not saying that you need one!_

_Ryuji: you kick ass without one_

_Ryuji: it just doesn’t feel right to me_

_Ryuji: i dunno_

_Ryuji: sorry_

_Akira: go to sleep ryuji_

_Ryuji: okay_

_Ryuji: goodnight_

_Akira: goodnight_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fox joins the team! Guess who's up next ;)


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “How should we send the calling card?” asked Yusuke.
> 
> “We should leave it where people can see it!” said Ryuji.
> 
> “Agreed,” said Morgana, “it would be impossible to ignore that way.”
> 
> “Well, I believe Sensei is holding another art exhibition tomorrow. They will let me in without a ticket. I can ensure that he reads it.”
> 
> “Perfect!” cheered Ann.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. This is so late. I've been dealing with stuff. I apologize. I was about to start working on something that wasn't even Persona related until I remembered I hadn't uploaded once at all this week. Sorry if there are mistakes. Haven't proofread this one as much as I usually do.
> 
> Enjoy! We get a new appearance this chapter :)

Akira was walking down the halls of Shujin Academy, minding his own damn business, when a first year running through the crowds of students rammed into Akira's shoulder top speed. Akira staggered to the side, rubbing his newly bruised skin underneath his sleeve. The kid turned around to apologize, eyes widening when he realized who he had bumped into.

“I’m- I’m sorry!” he blurted out, eyes wide.

Akira blinked at him for a moment, still a little stunned due to the impact. His lips twitched upwards in slight amusement, both at the red tips of the first year’s ears and the way he practically trembled with fear.

“It’s fine,” Akira told him amiably. The kid looked a bit shocked at Akira’s docile response. He then bowed quickly and whirled around to continue his frantic race down the hall – only to slam directly into Makoto Nijima, of all people, who had been holding a stack of books and papers so tall that it was a balancing act worthy of a circus.

Makoto yelped. Books and papers went flying everywhere. The first year stared at the damage he’d caused in dismay. Akira could see his eyes grow even more huge when he realized that he had somehow managed to crash into the second most feared student at the school.

For a moment, Akira felt as though his knees would buckle.

_Makoto._

He resisted his urge to use the wall to steady himself and reminded himself to breathe.

“Nijima-senpai!” he cried out. “I’m sorry! I would help but-”

Akira took pity on the kid.

“Go on,” he said, waving his hand. He ignored the way his stomach was twisted in knots. “I’ll help her. Get where you need to be.”

The first year stared at him for a long moment, utterly disbelieving.

Akira raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you supposed to be late?”

“Oh right! Th-thank you!”

The first year darted off.

Akira could feel the eyes of other students on him as he knelt down and began to gather books in his arms. Makoto joined him, muttering under her breath and looking generally stressed out. After they finished gathering everything off the floor, they stood up, and Makoto finally noticed who he was.

“Oh! You’re-”

“A fellow victim of a panicked first year, yes. I feel a bruise forming on my shoulder.”

Makoto let out a surprised laugh.

Akira felt himself relax.

“Where are you taking all of these anyway?” he asked. “I feel like I’m carrying a bunch of bricks.”

She shifted nervously. “I’m just returning them to the library. Other members of the student council were using them. I volunteered to take them back since I was headed to the library, but…”

“You didn’t realize how many there were,” Akira finished, unable to keep his amusement out of his voice.

“I was managing just fine on my own,” she insisted.

“That _is_ a rather impressive feat, I must admit,” said Akira as theatrically as he could with an armful of books. A smirk danced across his face. “However, since I am heading in that direction as well, I believe it would be within my power to assist you, Ms. Student Council President.”

Her cheeks turned a bit pink. “Well- Well if you insist.”

“I most certainly do,” he told her.

“Very well then.” She marched towards the library.

Akira caught up with her in a few long strides.

“Is everything alright, Nijima-senpai? You look a bit stressed. I know it must be difficult, doing everything that the faculty is supposed to take care of.”

Makoto let out another surprised laugh.

“What? Am I surprisingly intuitive for an infamous delinquent?”

“Oh stop it,” she said, but she was smiling.

His charm skill was still maxed out, apparently.

“Go on then,” he encouraged her, “feel free to share all of your problems with a guy you met just five minutes ago. I’ve been told I’m a good listener.”

“You’re absolutely ridiculous,” she told him as they rounded a corner.

“I try my hardest,” he said with a grin. Then he let his expression melt into one of concern. “But still, I’m happy to chat with you if you need it.”

Makoto sighed. “It’s alright, thank you. You know, you’re a nice person.”

They entered the library.

“If you say so,” he said, mock dubiously. Makoto had a nice laugh.

Akira dumped his stack of books on the desk. The librarian yelped in surprise. Makoto put hers down much more gently.

“We’d like to return these,” Makoto told her with a polite smile.

“Of course!” said the librarian.

“Oh, and this one,” said Akira, digging the book he had borrowed two days ago out of his bag and adding it to the pile.

The librarian gawked at him. “You read fast.”

“I’ve been told that before,” said Akira with a shrug.

Makoto looked at him appraisingly. “I didn’t take you for a reader.”

“Really? That was the whole point of these glasses,” said Akira, sounding disappointed.

“Seriously?” Makoto asked.

“Yeah. They’re not prescription.” He pulled them off his face and slid them onto Makoto’s. The movement was so smooth she didn’t even have time to lean away from him. “See?”

The whispers that always followed him around suddenly intensified.

_“Woah, is the transfer kid flirting with Nijima-senpai?”_

_“Are they dating?”_

_“Nijima-senpai sure lives life on the edge!”_

Makoto’s face flushed red. Akira was having the time of his life.

“I- I see,” she said far too quickly. She frowned. “When was the last time you cleaned these?”

“Uhhhh…”

She rolled her eyes and handed them back to him.

“You’re all set!” said the librarian, having gone through the stack of over ten books.

“Thank you,” said Makoto and Akira in unison. Akira laughed.

They walked out of the library together.

“Y’know, if you ever need someone to talk to or if you just want some coffee, I work at a café. Well, actually I live there too, it’s a long story but… here.”

Akira dug through his bag, pulling out a crumpled paper with equations scribbled all over it and a pen. He wrote down Leblanc’s address and handed it to her. She took it with a bemused expression on her face.

“You did all of these equations right,” she commented.

“Is it really so surprising? These glasses are supposed to make me look smart,” he said, pushing them upwards in what he hoped was a sophisticated manner.

“Kurusu-kun, I hate to break it to you, but you’re too bizarre for that to ever work.”

Akira pouted and Makoto laughed. They parted ways with smiles on their faces.

* * *

“How should we send the calling card?” asked Yusuke.

“We should leave it where people can see it!” said Ryuji.

“Agreed,” said Morgana, “it would be impossible to ignore that way.”

“Well, I believe Sensei is holding another art exhibition tomorrow. They will let me in without a ticket. I can ensure that he reads it.”

“Perfect!” cheered Ann.

“So tomorrow’s a go then?” Ryuji asked.

They all turned to Akira. He gave them a firm nod.

“Get a good night’s sleep. We’ll be stealing the Treasure tomorrow.”

“So basically, just don’t act like you,” said Ann.

Akira squawked in indignation.

“Hey, aren’t you supposed to lead by example?” asked Morgana.

“No, it’s _teach_ by example,” Akira countered.

“I’m fairly certain the sentiment applies to both situations. However, I’m unsure as to what exactly you all are referring to,” said Yusuke.

“Oh yeah, you weren’t there. Well when we stole Kamoshida’s Treasure this guy only got ‘bout four hours of sleep,” said Ryuji.

“It was at least five,” Akira protested.

Ann rolled her eyes. “You were awake at 4 AM.”

“Well it’ll be fine this time,” said Morgana. “I’ll make sure he practices what he preaches!”

Akira groaned and slumped forward onto the table. “Just let me have my self-destructive habits in peace.”

“No,” said Morgana, Ann, and Ryuji in unison.

* * *

Morgana did indeed force Akira to sleep. His mind granted him a brief reprieve from his nightmares. He thanked it when he woke up that morning, made sure he had shoved all of the admittedly suspicious looking medicine he had bought from Takemi in his bag, and was out the door before Sojiro could greet him.

* * *

The five of them sat around a table at Big Bang Burger. Akira’s head was propped up on his hand and his eyes were closed. He appeared to be dozing; he wasn’t, but he didn’t feel like talking.

“Did he really just fall asleep?” Ann asked.

“I can’t say I blame him. I’m exhausted,” said Yusuke.

“Yeah me too. It was probably even harder on you man,” said Ryuji. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

Yusuke shook his head. “No, I’m alright. If anything, I am grateful to know the truth. I am much happier with myself knowing that I fought for something I believe in.”

Akira’s lips twitched upwards in a smile.

“Ha! I knew you were awake!” said Morgana.

Akira cracked a single eye open. “Were you watching me this entire time? Do you have a crush on me, Morgana?”

“No way!” shouted Morgana.

Ann and Ryuji laughed.

Akira sat up fully and turned his gaze on Yusuke. “I’m glad you feel more comfortable with yourself. I think that’s part of what we’re all trying to do here.”

“Yeah!” said Ryuji, pumping his fist in the air. “And we get to help people while we’re at it!”

Yusuke smiled. “I am truly glad to be here. Thank you, Akira, for extending a hand of friendship to me, and I thank all of you for your kindness.”

“Of course man!”

“Yeah!”

“You’ve been a big help!”

Akira yawned. He leaned sideways and dropped his head onto Ryuji’s shoulder.

“Now that we’ve had our obligatory sentimental conversation, I’m taking a nap.”

Morgana groaned. “Why do you always want to sleep except for when you’re supposed to?”

“Dude get off. I want to eat,” said Ryuji, staring at his uneaten burger.

Akira sighed. He didn’t move. Ryuji jabbed a finger in between his ribs and Akira didn’t even flinch.

“Hey what the fuck are you?”

Akira smiled smugly. “I’m like ten levels higher than you. Try again when you’ve gained some more EXP.”

Yusuke stared at him uncomprehendingly. “I did not understand that statement.”

“I’m pretty sure he’s using video game terms,” said Ann.

Ryuji shoved Akira off of him. Akira let out a manly shriek as he toppled out of the booth. He sprawled out on the dirty floor of the fast food restaurant.

“This is where I live now,” said Akira, completely deadpan.

Ann, who had been giggling since she’d heard him shriek, completely lost it.

* * *

The next morning Akira climbed down the stairs to find only Sojiro behind the counter and _Sayuri_ hanging on the wall.

“Yusuke left?” he asked, sliding into a chair.

“Yeah,” said Sojiro. “He’s a good kid, even if he’s a bit odd. I wouldn’t have minded if he stayed longer.”

Akira shook his head. “Nah, I think he needed to leave. It’ll be good for him to stop depending on people.”

Sojiro was quiet for a moment. He poured Akira a cup of coffee and set it in front of him. Akira murmured his thanks.

“That famous artist made the news this morning,” Sojiro commented. “Was he who-”

“Yusuke was living with. Yeah, he was.” Akira stared into his cup.

“You know kid… you seem to be connected to a lot of these Phantom Thief incidents.”

Why did he get a more observant Sojiro this time? No fair.

Akira shrugged.

“Well, I guess twice is a coincidence. But three? That’s a pattern. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

_Don’t be so obvious next time._

“Yeah.”

_I won’t be._

Akira sipped his coffee quietly. Sojiro sat next to him, reading the newspaper.

Apparently, Akira had traded obliviousness for understanding. He didn’t know why Sojiro appeared to like him this much earlier on, but he wasn’t complaining. He wondered what he had done differently this time around. Maybe it was because Sojiro could sense that he wasn’t a kicked puppy this time, but instead a puppy with two broken legs trying to run.

Sojiro had always been a big softie after all.

* * *

Akira ran into Makoto at the library the next day. She was taking up an entire table on her own, papers and books scattered about. She looked stressed.

He sidled up to her. “Hey Ms. Student Council President,” he said with a smirk on his face.

She glanced up. “Oh, it’s you. Hello Kurusu-kun. What are you doing here?”

Akira held up the book in his hands. “I read, remember?”

She smiled. “Yes, I do. What is it about?”

“Just some fantasy novel. Apparently, it has some high-level vocabulary, so it’ll hopefully be a bit more challenging of a read.”

Makoto sighed. “A challenge, huh?”

Akira frowned at her for a moment. “Do you mind if I sit here?”

She blinked in surprise. “No, not at all.”

Akira slid into the seat across from her and set his book down on the table. There was an uproar from the other students in the library.

_“No way! They’re hanging out again?”_

_“What do you mean again?”_

_“I saw them in here a few days ago. They came in together and left together!”_

_“Woah.”_

_“I guess Nijima-senpai likes her boys dangerous.”_

Makoto’s eye was twitching. Akira just laughed.

“Does this always happen around you?” she asked.

“Pretty much,” he said with a shrug.

“How can you stand it?”

“I guess I’m just used to it.”

“Well _I’m_ not.”

She slammed her hands down on the table and stood up. A hush fell over the library.

“If you are in here to _gossip_ instead of to actually use the resources provided, now would be the time to leave.”

A few students glanced at each other.

“I said _now,”_ she snapped. They yelped and raced each other to the door. Everyone else settled back into their seats, opened their books, and began to work. The silence was utter bliss.

Makoto sat back down with a huff.

Akira grinned at her. “You’re not our Student Council President for nothing, huh? You get things done.”

She sighed again. Now that the anger had been drained out of her, the lines of stress were beginning to reappear on her face.

“Alright,” said Akira, “spill it. You look like the world is going to end.”

Makoto fiddled with her pencil case. “Am I really that obvious.”

“I’m good at reading people,” he said.

She was quiet for a moment. “Have you ever gotten an impossible task dumped on you because the other person couldn’t do it themselves?”

Ah, so she was already being coerced into investigating the Phantom Thieves.

Akira propped his chin up on his hand. “Sounds like every group project I’ve ever worked on.”

Makoto laughed. “I’m being serious, Kurusu-kun.”

“So am I! Group projects are the worst,” he said grinning.

Makoto smiled for a moment, then it fell as quickly as it arrived.

Damn it.

Akira sighed. “No, I haven’t. But I _have_ been used before. It isn’t fun. I try to avoid it.”

“But this isn’t something I can avoid,” said Makoto with a frown.

Akira hummed in thought. “So it’s either someone you feel obligated to help or someone who has power over you. I’m going to put my money on the latter because adults suck.”

Makoto’s eyes widened. “You’re… surprisingly sharp.”

“I get that a lot. Are you sure this is something you can’t get out of? I’ve noticed that people tend to trap themselves,” said Akira.

“I… I don’t know,” said Makoto, staring down at the table. “Why are you here?” she blurted out suddenly.

Akira blinked. “You mean in Tokyo?”

“Yes. What happened? You don’t seem like someone who’d have a criminal record.”

Akira smiled wryly. “Like I said, adults suck.” He stood up. “Don’t let yourself be used, Nijima-senpai. Don’t let yourself be manipulated. Be smart, and follow what you believe in. Get rid of whatever those people have over you, it’s only dragging you down.”

“Easier said than done,” said Makoto.

Akira grinned. “Yeah, it is.”

He walked out of the library. Makoto watched him go.

* * *

“What do we do now?” Yusuke asked.

“We wait,” said Morgana.

“We throw a party!” said Ann.

“Oh yeah! We should get food again!” said Ryuji.

They sat around Akira’s attic. Ann and Akira were taking up the couch, her feet propped up on his lap. Yusuke and Ryuji were sitting at the table they had set up. Morgana sat on top of it, surveying the group.

“A party?” Yusuke asked.

Ann nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah! To welcome you!”

Akira suddenly groaned.

“What is it?” asked Morgana.

“I left the book I wanted to check out in the library,” he said, sinking into the couch.

“Oh yeah, you just spent that whole time flirting with the Student Council President,” said Morgana.

“Dude, you got a thing for Nijima-senpai?” asked Ryuji.

“No,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Morgana is no better than all of the Shujin students hard at work at the rumor mill.”

Morgana bristled. “It _seemed_ like you were flirting.”

“Can’t a guy chat with a girl without him flirting? Do you think I’m flirting with Ryuji every time I talk to him?”

Ann laughed. “Akira, I hate to break it to you, but you flirt with him regularly.”

Ryuji’s face turned red.

“Okay fine, so I flirt with everyone. Doesn’t mean I have a _thing_ for everyone.”

Yusuke appeared to be having a moment of deep contemplation. “I don’t believe he has flirted with me.”

“Oh Yusuke, you’re just clueless,” said Ann rather kindly.

“Why _were_ you chattin’ with her then?” asked Ryuji.

“I’m investing in an invaluable confidant,” Akira told them all sagely. “Plus she looked kinda lonely.”

“So you were just being nice?” asked Ann.

“Yep, with the ulterior motive of friendship.”

“Ah, how respectable,” said Yusuke with a nod.

Ryuji stared at them both like they had grown two heads. “Why are all of my friends so fuckin’ weird?”

* * *

The hotpot was better than it had been last time. Akira was the best cook. They all just left him to his own devices as they chattered happily. Akira was quite proud of his creation as they ate.

“Akira, this is a masterpiece!” said Yusuke dramatically as he ladled more into his bowl.

Ann hummed happily as she took a bite.

“You gotta cook for me more, man,” said Ryuji, already on his third serving.

“Want me to move in with you?” he asked, winking.

“You see, _this_ is what we talked about,” said Morgana. “ _This_ is why we always think you’re flirting.”

* * *

“You left this last time.”

Akira turned around to see Makoto holding the book he had meant to check out. His face broke out into a grin.

“Yeah thanks. That was really nice of you,” he said, accepting it from her.

Makoto smiled. “Well, you gave me some good advice.”

Akira looked at her in mock surprise. “Did I really? Did you tell the person who was pressuring you to fuck off?”

Makoto laughed. “Yeah, something like that.”

“Good,” he said, smiling at her. He held out his arm. “Well, I believe I owe you a cup of coffee, Ms. Student Council President.”

Makoto looked at him. “If I take your arm, everyone here will definitely think that we’re dating.”

“Half of these people genuinely believe I killed someone,” said Akira nonchalantly. “Forgive me if I don’t care much about their opinion.”

She laughed. “Fair enough.”

Makoto hooked her arm through his.

“So, Nijima-senpai,” he said as they walked out of the school together, “ _is_ this a date?”

Her face turned so red that she resembled a tomato. Akira burst into laughter.

“I’m teasing you,” he said once he caught his breath.

“You’re terrible,” she griped.

“Yeah,” Akira conceded easily. “Friends?”

Makoto looked at him a bit dubiously, but the smile on his face was a genuine one. She rolled her eyes.

“Friends,” she agreed, “but only if you stop flirting with me.”

“Deal.”

* * *

**_Private Message_ **

**_7:03 PM_ **

_Ryuji: everyone says you’re dating the prez_

_Akira: jealous?_

_Ryuji: what the hell dude_

_Ryuji: no_

_Akira: these are the same people who claim ive murdered someone_

_Ryuji: idk man you’re kinda scary_

_Ryuji: have you?_

_Akira: the only thing i have ever killed is my own dignity_

_Akira: which is a daily occurrence_

_Akira: don’t worry_

_Akira: my heart is still yours_

_Akira: ryu-chan~_

_Ryuji: um_

_Ryuji: that was gross_

_Akira: yeah i threw up in my mouth a little_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter updates might be slowing down. I've been dealing with a severe drop in motivation for just about everything. I'll still update at least once a week, but I just don't think I can keep up with the two to three times a week with everything I've been dealing with lately. Sorry again for the lateness.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Telling his friends about his arrest was easy. It felt like a lifetime ago. He was over it. He was even over his parents never picking up the phone.
> 
> Mostly.
> 
> Akira hadn’t tried calling them once during this timeline. He was giving them a taste of their own medicine, or so he told himself.
> 
> “Dude, what the hell?!” said Ryuji after Akira was finished.
> 
> Ann was scowling. “That isn’t right.”
> 
> “Most things aren’t,” said Akira calmly, pouring himself a cup of coffee. “You guys want any?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here. Take this. Just take it. Get it away from me.
> 
> This is mostly just a filler chapter, but we're setting up some important stuff here. Hope you guys enjoy.

**_The Phantom Thieves_ **

**_12:42 PM_ **

_Skull: where the fuck is he?_

_Panther: he’s probably just asleep_

_Fox: Still?_

_Fox: Isn’t he the team leader?_

_Joker: what were you implying there yusuke?_

_Skull: HE’S ALIVE_

_Joker: only in the most literal sense_

_Panther: have you heard the news?_

_Joker: yep_

_Joker: great job team_

_Fox: You don’t seem all that excited._

_Joker: well_

_Joker: im not surprised i guess_

_Joker: i had faith in us_

_Panther: aww_ _(_ _￣_ _▽_ _￣_ _*)_ _ゞ_

_Joker: anyway, the real question is how yusuke feels not me_

_Fox: I am well, thank you._

_Fox: I believe I have finally come to terms with everything._

_Fox: I will never be able to express my gratitude for your assistance._

_Joker: don’t worry about it_

_Panther: yeah! we were glad to help you_

_Skull: yeah man_

_Fox: You all are kind._

_Joker: how are the dorms?_

_Fox: …_

_Fox: Crowded._

_Fox: But acceptable. I will manage._

_Panther: good luck yusuke!_

_Panther:_ _☆_ _*:._ _｡_ _.o(_ _≧▽≦_ _)o._ _｡_ _.:*_ _☆_

_Skull: why are you obsessed with that emoticon_

* * *

**_Private Message_ **

**_1:01 PM_ **

_Ryuji: we should hang out today_

_Akira: are you asking me out on a date?_

_Ryuji: never mind._

_Akira: no i’m kidding come back_

_Akira: i’ll buy you ramen_

_Ryuji: hell yeah_

_Akira: would you date me if i bought you ramen every day_

_Ryuji: dude no_

_Akira: damn._

* * *

Akira and Ryuji met up at their favorite ramen place. Ryuji grinned at him and threw an arm around his shoulder. They chattered as they walked in and sat down, but somewhere in between ordering and getting their food they fell into an odd silence. It felt weird. Conversation with Ryuji had always been nonstop and felt natural. Akira could tell that something was on his mind. He kept quiet to give Ryuji the space to speak.

“So, I dunno how to say this but….” Ryuji trailed off. He looked constipated.

Akira informed him of this.

“Aw man! Seriously dude? I’m tryna say something important!”

Akira absentmindedly scooped up some noodles with his chopsticks. He watched pensively as they slid off the chopsticks and back into the broth.

“Just spit it out, Ryuji.”

Ryuji sighed. He stared at his bowl of ramen with a great deal of apprehension on his face.

“It feels like you’re about to break up with me,” said Akira, poking him in the cheek with his chopsticks.

Ryuji spluttered and swatted Akira’s hand away.

“You’re doing the thing!” Ryuji exclaimed.

Akira blinked. “The thing?”

“You make someone else feel all awkward to feel less awkward. Me and Ann were talkin’ about it.”

Oh. They figured him out. Damn.

“Are you my therapist? Should I pay you by the hour?”

Ryuji punched him in the shoulder. “Shuddup! Lemme say what I need to!”

Akira was now entertaining himself by twirling his chopsticks over his fingers.

“I’m not stopping you,” he said, performing a rather impressive trick that sent a chopstick spinning over his knuckles. “Say whatever you want.”

“Fine!” said Ryuji, aggressively scrubbing a hand through his hair. “Are you- Are you good man?”

Akira fumbled and dropped his chopsticks. They rolled off the counter and underneath his seat.

Akira sighed. “Why do you ask?”

Ryuji squirmed uncomfortably. “I dunno… It’s just- Sometimes you get all dark and broody. Morgana says you get nightmares-”

Akira was going to throttle that damn cat.

“- and you don’t talk ‘bout yourself. I dunno anything about before you moved here and stuff. I’m not sayin’ you gotta tell me or anything, but it’s enough to get a guy worried.”

Akira said nothing. Ryuji began to panic.

“Look man, if you don’t wanna talk it’s fine. I just-”

“I was arrested for assault.”

Ryuji froze. “Woah. For real?”

Akira shot him a weak smile. “Yeah. I keep forgetting I haven’t told you guys yet. I guess I know pretty much everything about your tragic, anime protagonist pasts. I practically owe you all the story.”

Ryuji’s eyes widened. “You don’t owe us nothin’!”

_Oh Ryuji, you know nothing._

Akira laughed. It felt fake. “I still should tell you guys. But if we keep talking about serious stuff it’s gonna make my stomach hurt, and this ramen looks really good. How about we all meet up at Leblanc tomorrow? I’ll tell you guys everything then.”

Ryuji grinned, looking relieved. “Deal!”

* * *

**_The Phantom Thieves_ **

**_5:07 PM_ **

_Joker: summoning you all to leblanc tomorrow at noon_

_Joker: official phantom thief business_

_Fox: Very well. I shall clear my schedule._

_Panther:_ _(_ _・_ ___ _・_ _;)_ _?_

_Panther: what’s going on?_

_Joker: im gonna tell you all about my tragic backstory_

_Skull: dude_

_Skull: stop making it into a joke_

_Joker: but its my coping mechanism_

_Fox: I am pleased that you trust us enough to tell us your story._

_Joker: yeah it’ll be a great team bonding exercise_

_Joker: might ruin my tall, dark, and mysterious vibe though_

_Panther: then you’ll just be tall, dark, and handsome_

_Panther: which is equally valid_ _(o˘_ _◡_ _˘o)_

_Joker: oh shit you’re right_

_Joker: do you think i’m handsome boys?_

_Skull: sometimes i really hate you_

_Fox: I do occasionally find myself admiring the aesthetics of your figure._

_Joker: aw how sweet_

_Skull: hey what the fuck_

* * *

Telling his friends about his arrest was easy. It felt like a lifetime ago. He was over it. He was even over his parents never picking up the phone.

Mostly.

Akira hadn’t tried calling them once during this timeline. He was giving them a taste of their own medicine, or so he told himself.

“Dude, what the hell?!” said Ryuji after Akira was finished.

Ann was scowling. “That isn’t right.”

“Most things aren’t,” said Akira calmly, pouring himself a cup of coffee. “You guys want any?”

“I would like a cup please,” said Yusuke. He looked bothered as well. “You’re sure that there’s nothing we can do?”

Akira shrugged. “I’ve already been convicted. What’s done is done.”

“And your parents didn’t fight for you at all? That’s seriously messed up!” said Ryuji.

“I don’t think they believed me,” he told them. Akira set a cup of coffee in front of Yusuke and slid into the booth next to Ryuji.

Yusuke took a sip. He stared at it in surprise. “You know how I take my coffee?”

Oh shit.

“Lucky guess,” said Akira. He quickly buried his face into his own mug. Morgana was eyeing him suspiciously. Damn that cat.

“Well, whatever the case, Akira is right,” said Morgana. He sat down at the edge of the table, curling his tail neatly over his paws. “What’s done is done. All we can do now is look forward.”

“I guess you’re right,” said Ann. “It still pisses me off though.”

Ryuji nodded. “Me too.”

Akira smiled. “You guys are great.”

Ann returned his smile. Ryuji bumped his shoulder against Akira’s.

“You fought for us man, ‘course we’ll fight for you,” said Ryuji.

“Well said,” said Yusuke.

“Yeah!” Ann chimed in.

Morgana nodded in agreement.

Akira loved his friends so fucking much.

“Now that we’ve gotten all the sentimental stuff out of the way, let’s talk Phantom Thief business,” said Akira.

“Ohhh,” said Ann. “Who should we target next?”

“Some big name for sure!” said Ryuji.

Akira thought about Junya Kaneshiro. He thought about the publicity taking down the man had won them. He thought about the trap it had led them directly towards.

Akira frowned. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

“Huh?” said Ryuji and Ann in unison.

“What do you mean?” Yusuke asked.

“… Publicity is dangerous.”

“But we need it to explore Mementos,” said Morgana.

Akira nodded. “You’re right, but we haven’t even begun to explore the new level we’ve opened. I think we should wait until things die down a bit.”

“But why?” asked Ann.

Akira looked up at all of them. “Have you guys thought about the psychotic breakdowns lately? Or the mental shutdowns?”

Ryuji furrowed his brow. “No, why’d you ask?”

Akira drummed his fingers against the table.

_Fuck it._

“I think… someone is using the Metaverse to cause them.”

They all gawked at him.

“For real?!” Ryuji asked.

Yusuke contemplated this. “In a way, the assumption makes sense.”

“How?” asked Ann.

“Morgana, what happens if you kill a person’s Shadow in the Metaverse?” Akira asked.

“It isn’t something I’ve seen before, but I’m almost certain they’d die,” Morgana answered.

“Which would explain the mental shutdowns,” said Yusuke.

Akira nodded. “Exactly.”

Ryuji scratched his head. “So what about that other thing? Y’know, the thing where they just go crazy?”

“We’ve done something similar twice,” said Akira.

“Huh?” said Ann.

“You’re comparing the psychotic breakdowns to a change of heart?” Yusuke asked.

“Yes.”

They all sat in silence for a moment.

“So what do you think, Morgana? You’re our Metaverse expert,” asked Akira.

The cat began to pace along the edge of the table, tail lashing back and forth.

“It definitely is a possibility,” said Morgana. “But if you’re right, the person causing all of these mental shutdowns would have to be-”

“A Persona user,” Akira finished.

“Or at the very least, be familiar with the Metaverse like Akira,” said Yusuke.

Akira shook his head. “There’s no way you can survive in the Metaverse alone without a Persona. Whoever this guy is, he has one. In fact, I’d guess he’s pretty powerful too.”

“Woah,” said Ann.

“You’re sayin’ that there’s some evil dude runnin’ around doing whatever he wants in the Metaverse _and_ he probably kicks ass?” asked Ryuji.

“Pretty much yeah.”

“I believe I understand your desire for caution now,” said Yusuke

“Um yeah, me too,” said Ann nervously.

“So, what do you think we should do then?” asked Morgana.

“Explore Mementos. Take smaller requests from the Phansite. Instead of looking for our next big target, let’s wait until something comes to us. I’m not saying we should lie low forever, but I don’t want us to make ourselves into a huge target when we’ve barely gotten started. I have a feeling whoever’s behind these mental shutdowns isn’t someone we want to mess with just yet.”

The others exchanged glances, then nodded.

“Sounds like a plan!” said Morgana.

Ryuji grinned. “This is why you’re our leader man!”

At that exact moment, the bell on the door chimed, and Akechi walked in. Akira’s stomach twisted into knots.

_Speak of the Devil, and he shall appear._

Akira was going to start carrying holy water with him.

“Good afternoon, Kurusu-san,” said Akechi cheerfully. He had a pleasant smile on his face.

Screw carrying around holy water, Akira was just going to ward Leblanc against all evils and hide in his attic for the rest of his life.

“Hey Akechi,” said Akira, as if he wasn’t in a constant state of wanting to break the faux detective’s jaw. “We’re closed.”

Akechi looked perfectly confused. “You are? The sign said ‘open’.”

“Shit!” Akira hissed, sliding out of his seat. “Sojiro told me to change it after he left. The man doesn’t understand the concept of keeping regular hours.”

Akechi laughed. “Ah well, I’m sorry if I’m intruding. I’ll be on my way.”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll make you a cup anyway,” his mouth was saying before his brain caught up.

Akira cursed himself. Why did he have to be so damn nice?

Akechi smiled. “Thank you.”

“Sure, no problem,” he lied.

“Hey wait! Aren’t you that detective dude we saw at that buffet?” asked Ryuji.

“Ah yes, sorry for not introducing myself…”

Akira left his friends to bother Akechi as he went outside to fix the sign. He flipped the sign and leaned against the wall. He took a few deep breaths.

_I will not punch Akechi. I will not punch Akechi. I will not punch Akechi. I will not punch Akechi._

“Alright,” he muttered to himself, “time to channel your inner Goro Akechi and be fake as hell. You can do this.”

* * *

It was 2 AM, and Akira couldn’t sleep – he was too busy thinking.

He rolled over, burying his face into his pillow. He remained on his stomach for a moment before his lower back began to ache. Groaning, he rolled back over so he was staring at the ceiling again.

“Could you stop moving?” Morgana grumped. “Some of us are trying to get some sleep here.”

Akira got the sudden urge to shove him off the bed.

He ignored it, shifting onto his side and squeezing his eyes shut.

Was his decision to get the Phantom Thieves agree to slow down the best one? In the end, it would only be delaying the inevitable. The others wouldn’t be satisfied with just exploring Mementos either. Eventually, they were going to need a target, meaning that they were doomed to fall into the same trap twice.

The problem _was_ the publicity. The Phantom Thieves had already caught Akechi’s eye, but that didn’t matter – Akechi wasn’t the one pulling the strings after all. As long as Shido viewed them as nothing more than a slight nuisance, they would be safe.

Kamoshida was just a teacher, and Madarame was a fraud with little to no power. Kaneshiro was, without a doubt, a more impressive target than the two of them combined. It was no coincidence that they had gotten the threat from the fake Medjed right after taking him down – Shido had felt _threatened._

Their next target had to be someone that would fly right under Shido’s radar.

Who could that be?

Akira’s first thought was Futaba. She was right next to him, she had a Palace, and Shido wouldn’t even know who she was. Plus, Leblanc had felt weird without her presence. He missed the little gremlin.

… but that wouldn’t work.

She hadn’t contacted him yet. If things followed a similar pattern to the old timeline, he wouldn’t be getting a message from her for about another month. Explaining why he wanted to target her would be difficult, and explaining how he had gotten the keywords for her Palace without saying a single word to her would be next to impossible. If he tried to talk to her without her initiating the contact, he knew she would shut him down.

No, he couldn’t target Futaba next.

Makoto was the person who was due to approach them next. How could he work with that?

_“… I think… this is the real reason why I joined the Phantom Thieves…”_

Akira sat up so fast he sent Morgana flying off the bed.

* * *

A few days later, Makoto walked into Leblanc. She looked nervous.

“Hey, Nijima-senpai,” Akira greeted from where he was wiping down a table. “Want some coffee?”

“Yes please,” she said.

Akira gestured to the now clean table and she gratefully took a seat.

“There’s also something I wanted to talk to you about,” said Makoto as Akira bustled about behind the counter. “Can we take a walk after?”

Sojiro gave him The Look from where he sat reading the paper. Akira rolled his eyes.

“Sure,” said Akira easily.

Makoto drank her coffee. They took a walk.

“There’s something you should hear,” she told him.

She played the recording of them talking about their Phantom Thief exploits at school.

Akira had known she had recorded it. He’d spotted her around the corner, and turned away quickly so she wouldn’t notice him staring.

Makoto studied his expression. “You don’t seem that surprised – or concerned.”

Akira shrugged. “Someone was bound to figure it out already. And you’re a good person, Nijima-senpai. I don’t believe that you’ll turn us in without giving us a chance.”

Makoto flushed. “You don’t know me very well, Kurusu-kun.”

“Are you going to tell me I’m wrong?”

Makoto looked at him for a moment before shaking her head. “No, you’re right. There’s someone whose heart I want you to change.”

Akira raised an eyebrow.

“There’s this man…”

She told him about Kaneshiro.

“Are you sure?” Akira asked. He looked at her, eyes soft and understanding and perceptive.

Makoto frowned. “What do you mean?”

Akira shrugged. “That sounds more like a test than anything else. Are you _sure_ that’s the person you want the Phantom Thieves to change?”

Makoto’s eyes widened. She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it. Her shoulders slumped.

“No…”

Akira patted her on the shoulder. “I’ll call the others.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Easy pop quiz: Who are the Phantom Thieves targeting next? Correct answers get absolutely nothing!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They stood outside the courthouse. Ann had her phone out, and the rest of the Thieves crowded around her to see the screen.
> 
> “Yep! This is definitely the place. The MetaNav confirmed it.”
> 
> “Now we just need the distortion, correct?” said Yusuke.
> 
> Morgana nodded from his perch on Akira’s shoulder. “One of you ask Nijima about it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, it was Sae.
> 
> I haven't responded to comments on the last chapter yet because a lot of you were asking similar questions. I'm gonna give some general answers at the end of this chapter. I'll respond to each of you individually after I get this uploaded.
> 
> Enjoy!

“You want us to steal your _sister’s_ heart?!” Ryuji asked incredulously.

They were sitting around their usual table at Leblanc. Sojiro had seemed resigned to the fact that Akira and his friends had nowhere else to be. They made the café look busy after all, and there weren’t very many customers for them to bother anyway.

Akira shot a glance to where Sojiro was working his way through a crossword puzzle. He didn’t appear to have heard anything.

“Keep your voices down,” Akira reminded them.

“Sorry,” said Ryuji, having the decency to at least look sheepish.

“Wouldn’t that be more of a Mementos request?” Ann asked.

Akira shrugged. “It depends how distorted her cognition is, right? By that logic, you don’t need to be evil to have a Palace.”

Morgana looked impressed. “You’re observant.”

Akira preened. "I know."

Makoto, however, looked entirely lost.

“… Did you just reply to your cat?” she asked. 

Ryuji pulled out his phone. “We can just check,” he said, ignoring her question.

“Oh yeah!” said Ann. “What’s your sister’s full name?”

“What? Oh, it’s Sae Nijima,” said Makoto, still looking confused.

_“Candidate found.”_

There was a beat of silence.

“I assume that means you can follow through with this. What exactly are your methods? How is it possible to ‘steal’ someone’s heart?” Makoto asked, jumping right into interrogation mode.

She reminded Akira of Sae. He shuddered a bit.

They all exchanged a glance.

“We should take her with us,” Akira told them.

What he didn’t tell them was that they would be desperately needing her help.

“Woah, you serious?” asked Ryuji.

“It would be dangerous for her,” Yusuke cautioned.

Ann nodded vigorously. “Yeah! She doesn’t have a Persona.”

“ _I_ don’t have a Persona,” Akira countered.

The others shifted awkwardly.

“I agree with Akira,” said Morgana. “She knows her sister probably better than anyone. We also don’t know what her distortion is, or even _where_ it is.”

“Exactly,” said Akira.

Makoto squinted at him. “You _are_ replying to your cat,” she decided.

“I sure am,” Akira confirmed. Makoto didn’t seem to know how to respond to that. “I have a question for you.”

“What is it?” she asked.

“If you had to pick one source for your sister’s change in behavior, where would that be?”

Makoto put her hand to her chin, thinking hard. “I think I might know. Do you want me to take you there?”

“That would be helpful,” said Yusuke.

* * *

They stood outside the courthouse. Ann had her phone out, and the rest of the Thieves crowded around her to see the screen.

“Yep! This is definitely the place. The MetaNav confirmed it.”

“Now we just need the distortion, correct?” said Yusuke.

Morgana nodded from his perch on Akira’s shoulder. “One of you ask Nijima about it.”

“Oh yeah,” said Ryuji. “You do it, Akira.”

Akira sighed and turned to her. “How does your sister view her job?”

Makoto frowned. “She’s been obsessed lately – like nothing else matters… I guess she sees it as something she has to win?”

“Like a game?” Ann asked.

“I suppose,” said Makoto.

“An arcade?” Ryuji asked.

_“No candidate found.”_

“Dammit,” said Ryuji.

“Sis is more sophisticated than that,” Makoto told them. She appeared to be catching on quick. “The other day she referred to a case as a ‘gamble’, if that helps.”

“A place where you need to win, where your success is a gamble…” Yusuke trailed off, deep in thought.

“A casino,” said Akira.

_“Candidate found. Beginning navigation.”_

The world began to distort in front of their eyes.

* * *

“What… what is this place?” Makoto asked, staring up at the ostentatious casino.

“Welcome to the Metaverse. We’re inside your sister’s heart,” said Akira. 

Makoto turned. She yelped when she caught sight of the others.

“Who _are_ you?” she asked.

Ryuji raised his hand. “I’m Sakamoto.”

Makoto squinted at them. “Oh I see. Your outfits changed.” She looked at Akira. “Why didn’t yours?”

Akira tried not to scowl. “Because I’m special.”

“We need to focus,” said Morgana.

Makoto stared. “ _What_ are you?”

“Oh, that’s Morgana,” said Ann. “You know, the cat Akira brings with him everywhere.”

“So he _can_ speak,” said Makoto, looking intrigued.

“Of course I can speak,” said Morgana. “And I’m not a cat!”

“We should move,” said Yusuke.

Akira nodded. “Come on.”

* * *

Something about the Palace felt off to Joker. It wasn’t until he stepped foot into it that he realized what it was.

The casino was _smaller_.

Not only that, but the air felt less tense – less hostile. It made sense, he supposed. Her distortion was less developed than it had been in the last timeline. He hoped it meant the Shadows were less powerful. Their team was… well, it was weak. They didn’t have Joker’s Personas, Oracle’s support, or Crow’s strength. The thought of trying to get through Sae’s old Palace at their current level made him grimace. It would be impossible.

Mona paused, whipping his head around.

“What is it?” Joker asked, reaching for his gun.

“Something’s coming,” said Mona.

The sound of heels clicking against tile made them all turn around.

“S-Sis!” Makoto exclaimed.

“That’s not really her – that’s just her Shadow!” said Mona.

Sae’s Shadow smirked. She walked forward with two bodyguards on either side of her. Her makeup was less flashy, her attire less extravagant; it only convinced Joker of his earlier musings.

“Hello, Makoto,” she greeted her sister. Sae then turned her gaze to the Thieves. “So, you’ve come to play.”

“Hell yeah, we have! You’ve been makin’ your sister’s life pretty shitty, y’know that!?” shouted Skull.

Sae stared him down coldly. “You really think that matters?”

Makoto flinched. “Sae… what are you saying?”

“This is a game I must win. Nothing else matters. Once I bring the Phantom Thieves in, no one will stand in my way.”

“Nothing else matters?” Makoto asked. Her voice sounded angry.

“Nothing,” Sae’s Shadow confirmed.

Makoto scowled. Her hands curled into fists. “You’re wrong.”

“You’re naïve,” said Shadow Sae.

Makoto shook her head. “Your obsession with success? Your willingness to tear down anyone who stands in your way? That’s no way to live!”

Sae laughed. “It’s the _only_ way to live.”

“No!” Makoto yelled. “I refuse to accept that!”

“Well then,” said Sae with a smirk. “I suppose you’ll have to be taught.”

The Shadows began to advance.

Makoto’s knees buckled. She screamed in pain. Her fingers curled around a mask. She tore it away, blood arcing through the air.

Akira almost cried at the sight of Johanna.

* * *

The next day they were back at Leblanc. Sojiro made a face. Akira got up to wash the dishes for him, which placated most of his irritation.

“I’m actually heading out so don’t burn the place down. And finish washing those dishes,” said Sojiro.

Akira pulled a hand out of the soapy water to offer him a mock salute. “Sir, yes sir!”

Water dripped into his eye. Sojiro’s entirely unimpressed expression made it worth it.

“Do you hold most of your Phantom Thief meetings here?” Makoto asked after he left.

“Pretty much yeah,” said Akira. “Ryuji, get over here. Help me dry these.”

Ryuji groaned. “Seriously man?”

“Yes. I’m commanding you as your leader.”

“You’re the worst,” he complained, but he got up and grabbed the towel Akira handed to him.

“I believe I understand the majority of your methods, but something is bothering me,” said Makoto.

“What is it?” asked Ann.

“Why doesn’t Kurusu-kun have a Persona?”

Akira felt his shoulders tense. Ryuji shot him a worried glance. The beat of silence that followed was awkward.

“I don’t know,” Akira replied, scrubbing a plate just a bit more aggressively than necessary. “But if you’re going to ask uncomfortable questions about me, just call me Akira.”

Makoto flushed. “I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. You’re just trying to understand.” Akira passed the plate to Ryuji, who took it wordlessly and began to dry it.

“I must admit, it’s something that I have been curious about as well,” said Yusuke.

Akira shrugged. “It just hasn’t happened for me. I’ve been going into Palaces for nearly as long as Ann and Ryuji. I still haven’t gotten one.”

There was hardly a trace of bitterness in his voice. He owed himself a round of applause. Maybe he should pursue a career in acting.

“He navigates the Metaverse like an old pro though,” said Morgana.

“It’s just instinct, mostly,” said Akira, which wasn’t entirely a lie.

Makoto studied him. “Interesting.”

_Frustrating is more like it_ , he thought to himself.

* * *

Joker had been right – the Palace _was_ smaller, and the Shadows _were_ weaker. It was disorienting at first. Joker would turn to open a door that didn’t exist, or a hallway that he remembered continuing would lead to a dead end. He couldn’t rely entirely on his past experience as he had for the last two, so he let Mona take over navigation.

Skull and Queen led the charge as the heavy hitters. Joker was finding himself more and more comfortable playing the role of support. It gave him time to wander off and get distracted by shiny things, which made Mona and Queen lose their minds

“What if we need your backup?” Mona asked, watching Joker sort through his findings in a safe room.

Joker snorted. “You won’t.”

“What if a Shadow spots you?” asked Queen.

Joker rolled his eyes. “They won’t.”

“Holy shit dude! How do you even find this stuff?” asked Skull.

Joker shrugged. “I look. You guys realize this is how I pay for our gear, right?”

“Seriously?” asked Panther.

“Yup. I am both this team’s fundraiser and manager. Appreciate me.”

“It is somewhat ironic that you are the only Phantom Thief that performs legitimate thieving,” commented Fox.

“There isn’t much else for me to do,” said Joker. “I get bored.”

“You get bored,” said Queen.

“Yes.”

“Surrounded by enemies.”

“Yes.”

Queen did not have a conniption – she was much too cool for that. Mona, however, was by no means cool, and he _did_ have a conniption.

* * *

The best thing about Sae’s Palace being underdeveloped was that most of the games were actually _fair_. They had walked right up to the reception, got a key card, and played the games legitimately. It was sort of fun. Futaba’s hacking might have made it easier, but Akira and Makoto were great at it. At the end, they passed through without needing Akechi’s alarmingly efficient skill at gambling. He took it to be a sign that he was on the right path. Their last mistake had been putting themselves in a position where they _needed_ the traitor’s help. So, passing through the entire Palace without once missing Crow’s skill made Joker just a little smug.

Just a little.

* * *

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Akira asked a few days later. He was tired – they all were. His muscles ached. He had a mild headache forming behind his left eye.

Makoto stood in front of all of them. She held the calling card Ryuji and Yusuke had made the night before, turning it over and over in her hands. Her eyes hardened, turning her expression fierce.

“Sis can’t go on like this,” Makoto said, slipping the calling card into her bag. “And I don’t deserve to deal with the weight of unrealistic expectations.”

Ann put a hand on Makoto’s shoulder and smiled, expression kind. “We’ll do this right.”

Makoto smiled back at her. “I know. Thank you all, for everything.”

* * *

**_The Phantom Thieves_ **

**_9:32 AM_ **

_Queen: She found the calling card._

_Joker: everyone ready?_

_Fox: Yes, of course._

_Panther: yeah!_

_Skull: hell yeah!_

_Queen: Yes._

_Joker: great_

_Joker: we’ll be meeting at the courthouse after school_

_Skull: got it!_

* * *

Akira watched as Makoto cried, holding onto her sister’s Shadow in a tight hug. He smiled slightly, hoping that it wouldn’t be too long before Makoto got to hug the real thing.

This time, they barely escaped Sae’s Palace before it crumbled to the ground.

And if Akira felt an irrational surge of relief when he escaped the Metaverse without being caught by police that couldn’t possibly have been there, well, it made sense that he was anxious about it considering what he went through last time.

* * *

**_The Phantom Thieves_ **

**_10:32 PM_ **

_Queen: It’s not that I do not have faith in our abilities._

_Queen: But are you sure we did this right?_

_Joker: im positive_

_Joker: what happened?_

_Queen: She came home and wouldn’t even look at me._

_Queen: She just went to her room._

_Queen: She didn’t even eat dinner._

_Fox: It is understandable to be worried._

_Fox: But I’m fairly certain she just feels guilty._

_Panther: she’s probably got a lot of stuff going on her head_

_Panther: you know_

_Panther: like trying to sort through her feelings_

_Panther: try talking to her tomorrow_

_Queen: I will._

_Queen: Thank you._

* * *

Makoto was not at school the next day. She _did_ show up the day after however, and she found Akira at the library.

“Hello,” she said, interrupting his reading session. Akira glanced up. His glasses were slightly crooked, and his eyes were glazed over. His expression brightened immediately when he realized who she was.

“Makoto!” he said happily. She flushed a little at the use of her given name. A few first years at the table near them exchanged wide-eyed glances.

“How is everything?” he asked her, sliding a bookmark in between two pages to mark his place.

“Good. Or at least, I believe so,” Makoto told him with a small smile.

“That’s good to hear,” said Akira. He stood up and began shoving things in his bag.

“Hey! Watch it!” Morgana hissed when a book hit his head.

“Sorry,” Akira said, not sounding very apologetic.

They walked together out of the library in silence. Akira had a question on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed it down. Makoto would talk when she was ready.

Sure enough, she broke the lapse in conversation.

“Sis told me that she had been valuing her work more than me,” said Makoto. “She apologized. I’ve never seen her look so guilty before. She also apologized for pressuring me so much.”

“I’m glad,” said Akira.

“Yes, I am as well.” Makoto fiddled with the strap on her bag. “I… wanted to thank you.”

“Again?” he asked, smile teasing.

Makoto rolled her eyes. “Yes, again. If it hadn’t been for you… I might have become like my sister.”

Akira gave her a confused look.

“The principal told me to investigate the Phantom Thieves,” she said. “Well, he blackmailed me into it actually.”

“Of course he did,” said Akira dryly. Makoto laughed.

“If I hadn’t been friends with you when I got ahold of that recording… I’m not too sure what I would have done.”

“Probably blackmailed _us_ ,” said Akira. “You’re pretty terrifying, you know.”

_I’m speaking from experience._

The smile Makoto gave him was slightly sheepish. “I thought about it,” she admitted. “But…”

“We’re friends,” said Akira with a grin. He bumped her shoulder with his.

“Yes,” Makoto agreed. She surprised him by bumping her shoulder back into his.

Akira felt a fuzzy warmth bubble in his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The main suggestion I saw from you guys was actually targeting Kobayakawa. While it's definitely an interesting idea, I could give you a whole list of reasons why I didn't go with that. The main one, however, is that Makoto was just not thinking about him at that point in time. She'd already made her decision and told him to fuck off. In the actual game, she never asks the Phantom Thieves to deal with him. This leads me to believe that it was something she fully intended to take care of on her own. She doesn't see their interference as necessary. The main reason why _Akira_ would never want to target their principal is because it practically confirms their presence at Shujin.
> 
> I know a lot of you are wondering about the inevitable disaster that is Goro Akechi. Without the existence of Sae's Palace, they can't fake Akira's death. Something I'd like to remind you all of is that Akira is so very far from perfect. He's smart, but he's dealing with a lot. He's not always going to make perfect decisions. If you'd like to see this decision as his first major mistake, you wouldn't be entirely wrong. Akira doesn't intend to fake his death again. It was a last resort. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he's figuring that his knowledge of the future gives him an edge. He isn't wrong, but he took away his backup plan because he's prioritizing Makoto's immediate happiness.
> 
> Hope that makes my decision to go with Sae's Palace at this point make a bit more sense. I know that it's not perfect, but you'll have to suspend your disbelief just a little bit for this to work.
> 
> If any of you'd like to chat at some point, you can find me on Twitter! I've finally started to use it after having it for over a year. I spend most of my time shit posting, but it should be fun! My username is @fxllmetalheart. You'll know me when you see me.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was bizarre, that with all of the changes Akira had made in the timeline, things still led to this exact same moment.
> 
> The talk show host approached Akira. Akechi’s eyes widened just a bit in recognition, though his faux smile didn’t waver.
> 
> “What do you think of the Phantom Thieves?” the host asked him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. I am not dead. I also have not given up on this. I just have been working through some stuff personally. I still am, but I want to get what I have written for this so far out at the very least. So I am back, and should be posting regularly again.
> 
> To make up for my disappearance, I plan on posting multiple chapters today. Stay tuned!

Ryuji groaned, slumping forward and resting his head on Akira’s desk.

“Social studies fieldtrips are always so damn boring,” he complained.

Akira raised an eyebrow, trying to ignore the way his head had been aching since he had woken up this morning. “Fieldtrip?” he asked.

“Yeah man. Don’t you pay attention in class?”

“No, he doesn’t,” said Ann. “He made lockpicks for the past two hours.”

Ryuji laughed. “Damn dude. I thought you were the studious type.”

“I am when I choose to be,” said Akira airily.

“Don’t let him fool you,” Morgana said from his place inside Akira’s desk, “he reads a lot.”

“So you’re a nerd, huh?” asked Ryuji.

Akira shrugged. “I guess. What’s up with this fieldtrip?”

“Oh right!” said Ann. “We have a few options about where we go. I’m gonna go to the TV station!”

Ryuji perked up. “TV station? Didn’t know that was a choice.”

Akira’s headache sharpened into a dagger digging into his skull. He groaned and shut his eyes, waiting for it to pass.

“Hey, you okay man?” asked Ryuji in concern.

Akira could barely hear him over the ringing in his ears.

“M’fine,” he mumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Ann’s fingers gently gripped his chin. She tilted his face at a different angle to get a better look at him.

“You look really pale,” she said. Her eyebrows were furrowed with worry.

“Did you stay up late on your phone again?” Morgana asked. He sounded exasperated, but there was an undercurrent of concern in his voice as well.

“No,” said Akira, “it’s just a headache. I get them sometimes.”

Ryuji pressed a head against Akira’s forehead. “He ain’t got a fever.”

Akira scowled and swatted Ryuji’s hand away. “I told you, I’m fine. It’s just a headache. It’s going away now.”

He wasn’t lying – the throbbing ache behind his eyes was beginning to fade.

“Does this happen often?” Ann asked.

Akira shrugged. “Only sometimes. I have painkillers for them.”

“How come I didn’t know about this?” Morgana asked.

Akira rolled his eyes. “It’s not that big of a deal. Like I said, it doesn’t happen often. So, are we all going to the TV station then?”

His friends still looked worried, but they accepted the shift in the conversation with no complaints.

* * *

It was bizarre, that with all of the changes Akira had made in the timeline, things still led to this exact same moment.

The talk show host approached Akira. Akechi’s eyes widened just a bit in recognition, though his faux smile didn’t waver.

“What do you think of the Phantom Thieves?” the host asked him.

Akira stared Akechi down. He gave him the same answer he had all those weeks ago at Leblanc, with a chess board in between them and cruel bruise around his neck.

“They’re necessary,” Akira said.

“Oh?” asked the host, voice curious. “What do you mean by that? Would you mind elaborating?”

Akira hesitated for the barest moment. He was sure that Akechi would take whatever he’d say and twist it for his benefit. A rebellious surge of frustration welled up inside of him.

_Fuck it._

“Think about the two cases we’ve seen,” said Akira. “We had criminals committing heinous acts right under the police’s nose.”

“Are you saying that without the Phantom Thieves’ intervention, these cases would have never been brought to the surface?” the host asked.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” said Akira.

“That very well may be true,” Akechi interrupted. “But think about their methods.”

“You’re worried about their supposed ability to change a person’s cognition,” said Akira.

Akechi nodded. “Yes. If these people can change how others view the world, then they are holding our entire society hostage.”

“Maybe you’re right. It does sort of remind you of the psychotic breakdowns, right? Maybe even the mental shutdowns?” said Akira.

The entire audience gasped. Ryuji elbowed him in the ribcage and hissed, “What’re you doing?” Akira shrugged him off.

Akechi blinked in surprise. “Well, I suppose so, but-”

“Logically, the facts don’t line up. Why would the Phantom Thieves only start announcing themselves now? And it seems to me that they’re making a point of leaving their targets alive. The more you look at it, the more it doesn’t make sense. What motive would this group have to cause those mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns, only to turn around and play the part of vigilante heroes?”

Akechi’s smile had twisted itself into a much more genuine smirk. “I suppose you have a theory, then.”

Akira fought to keep his voice level. “I do actually. I believe that the Phantom Thieves are very much separate from whoever this person causing the mental shutdowns is. Most likely, they both stumbled across a similar method to perform their actions. The difference is what they are doing with this ability.

“The Phantom Thieves have made themselves public. They announced their name to the world. They bask in the limelight because they have no reason to hide their actions.

“The person causing the mental shutdowns works in the shadows. They want their actions to go under the radar. My guess is, they’re tied to someone powerful. Maybe someone with a political status. If you look at the mental shutdowns and the psychotic breakdowns, chances are you’ll see that they all benefit one person, directly or indirectly.”

Akechi raised an eyebrow. “And who might that be?”

The entire studio was silent, awaiting Akira’s next words with bated breath.

Akira laughed, easily diffusing the tension. “Oh I’ve got no clue. I’m just a high school student who’s read way too many mystery novels.”

The rest of the audience laughed nervously. The crackling tension in the air began to dissipate.

“W-Well, that’s all for today folks!” said the host.

They wrapped up the show. Akira could feel Akechi’s eyes on him the entire time. He looked almost… _disappointed?_ That didn’t make sense. What had he wanted him to say?

* * *

_That was dangerous. Dangerous, dangerous, dangerous, dangerous-_

“-dangerous!” shouted Morgana. “Weren’t you the one who told us to stay away from public attention!?”

Akira winced.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you talk so much,” Ann commented.

“Seriously man. You’ve been actin’ kinda weird,” said Ryuji.

“He _always_ acts weird when Akechi is around,” said Morgana.

Akira sighed. “Sorry guys, he just pisses me off-”

_Because he tried to kill me. Because I couldn’t help him._

“- for some reason.”

Ryuji seemed to understand better than the others. “Yeah man, I get it. He kinda annoys me too. The way he talks feels funny.”

Morgana scoffed. “It ‘feels funny’? What does that even mean?”

“It just does, okay!” Ryuji snapped back.

“But still, what you were talking about was kind of interesting,” said Ann. “Do you really believe that?”

Akira shrugged. “It’s as good a theory as any.”

“It was _very_ good, actually,” said Akechi’s oily voice. They turned to see him standing in the middle of the hallway, a slight smile on his face. “It makes me wonder how much you’ve thought about this.”

Ryuji made a face and rolled his eyes. Akira resisted the urge to laugh.

“Well, I _was_ directly involved in the first case,” said Akira evenly.

“Yes, of course. Your curiosity is only to be expected. What wasn’t expected, however, was your intelligent insight on the matter.”

“I don’t know if I should be flattered or insulted,” Akira said dryly.

Akechi’s laugh was painfully fake. Akira had to physically resist the urge to grimace.

“I would greatly enjoy discussing some different cases at length with you.”

_I would greatly enjoy for you to leave me the fuck alone. Oh and also, stop killing people while you’re at it. That would be great._

“You know where to find me,” Akira told him, voice betraying none of his thoughts.

Akechi’s smile grew. “I suppose that I do. I will see you later then.” He nodded to the others, and then walked off.

Akira finally allowed himself to shudder. “Every interaction with him feels so weird.”

“Ugh, tell me about it,” said Ryuji.

Morgana and Ann stared at them like they were crazy.

“I think you might just be making it weird,” said Ann.

“It looks to me that you’ve got a bit of a rivalry with him,” said Morgana. “ _And_ you had that smirk on your face.”

“Smirk?” Akira asked.

“Yeah!” said Ann. “Your Joker face!”

“I did _not_.”

“You totally did!” Morgana insisted.

* * *

“How long does it take to heal from a concussion?” Akira asked, swinging his feet from where he was perched on the examination table. His legs were too long for the action, and the soles of his shoes scraped against the floor with each kick, but he felt too antsy to sit still.

Takemi looked up from the paper she was reading through. “Usually around a week. Why? Are you still getting headaches?”

He nodded. “Usually I just take painkillers and it goes away, but they’ve been getting worse.”

Takemi frowned. “Why haven’t you told me? It could be a symptom of the tests we’ve been running.”

Akira shrugged. “I figured that it was just from stress.”

He hadn’t dealt with any headaches in the last timeline.

She tapped her finger against the clipboard she was holding. “You shouldn’t be getting any headaches from the medicine I’ve been giving you. If you’ve been dealing with a lot of stress, getting headaches is fairly common. Some people are more prone to them than others. Have you gotten headaches like this in the past?”

Akira shook his head. “No, but I’ve also never been this stressed.”

Takemi nodded. “You’re probably dehydrated too. Drink more water. I have more painkillers, if you want them.”

“Yes please.”

* * *

Akira found himself in a contradictory state of constant exhaustion combined with an obsessive need to get something done. He slept through classes, stayed in the library catching up on homework until the pounding in his skull intensified into something unbearable, ran around meeting with confidants, and dragged the Phantom Thieves to Mementos at least twice a week.

Exams loomed next week, the end of the world loomed in a future closer than Akira found comfortable, and it was apparent to anyone with eyes that he was running on fumes.

Futaba still hadn’t contacted him. Morgana kept giving him weird looks.

Akechi kept wandering into Leblanc and to engage him in a game of verbal _and_ literal chess. It was starting to become _fun_ , to dodge Akechi’s questions and prod with his own. It led to a bizarre combination of irritation and anticipation every time Akechi walked through the door.

It was beginning to fuck with his head.

Sojiro had woken Akira up that morning to help out with Leblanc. After Akira had knocked the fourth thing off the counter, he was making a face that said he was regretting it.

“Sorry,” said Akira, who was running on approximately three hours of sleep. He stared at the damage he had done, unable to do anything about it because his hands were wet and covered in soap

Sojiro sighed and picked up the thankfully plastic cup Akira had knocked over with his elbow.

“Get that damn apron off and go for a walk or something,” he told Akira, taking the dishes he had been washing out of his hand.

Akira blinked at him. “… Walk?”

“You’re half asleep. Either go to bed or get out of here. You’re scaring all the customers,” Sojiro said, waving a towel at him in a threatening manner.

“What customers?” Akira quipped back, before remembering that Sojiro still didn’t like him as much as he used to.

Akira fled from Leblanc before the man could actually kill him with the towel.

After wandering for a few minutes, he decided to regret the fact that he had left his bed behind.

An hour or so later, he found himself lying on a park bench.

 _This wouldn’t be a bad place to nap_ , he mused.

Akira stretched his legs out so they dangled over the armrest and cushioned his head with his hands, watching the tree branches over his head. They shifted with the breeze, leaves rustling. Patches of sunlight glittered, fractured by the brown and the green. It was a warm day, but not hot enough to make him sweat. People passed by, chattering aimlessly. If he listened, he could catch fragments of happy conversations.

It was a nice picture.

Akira let his eyes slide shut.

Footsteps crunched in the grass, making their way towards him. He sighed at his disturbed tranquility.

“What are you doing?” asked an amused voice. It was Akechi. Of course it was. When was it not?

“Thinking,” he responded.

“About what?” Akechi asked.

“How you always seem to show up everywhere I go. Are you stalking me?”

“Yes,” Akechi replied, tone serious.

Akira paused. He sat up to see Akechi covering a smile with his hand.

 _How much of him is real?_ Akira wondered. He wondered if Akechi even knew.

“Well, you’re ruining my nap,” said Akira, lying back down. “Stalk me at a distance or something.”

“What if I wanted to talk to you?” Akechi asked, smile apparent in his voice.

“I’d tell you to fuck off.”

Akechi laughed. “I could report you to the police for loitering.”

“Then I’d report you for stalking me.”

“They’d never catch me,” Akechi informed him rather cheerfully.

Akira grumbled and turned over so his back was to Akechi.

There was a minute of silence. Akira hoped that it meant that Akechi had left.

“Is something wrong?” Akechi asked him. Nope. Still there. Ugh.

Akira rolled over and cracked an eye open. Akechi had sat down on the grass. He was leaning back on his hands, staring upwards at the leaves and the patches of sunlight.

“I’m surprised that you’d actually sit down on the grass,” Akira mumbled.

“You _do_ realize that you’re talking up the entire bench?” said Akechi, not looking back at him.

Akira groaned. “You could’ve left me alone.”

“What’s wrong?” Akechi asked, annoyingly persistent.

“I’m tired, and you won’t let me sleep.”

“You’re always tired, Kurusu. Does it have something to do with your criminal record?”

Akira felt as though someone had dumped a bucket of ice over his head.

He sat up, hot rage bubbling in his chest. “I didn’t tell you about that.”

“No, but I work with the police.”

“Leave me the fuck alone.”

This time, Akechi turned to look at him. Something in Akira’s face must have said something, because Akechi stood up and brushed his pants off.

“Very well then. Have a nice nap, Kurusu.”

Akechi walked off, leaving Akira feeling as though the world was shifting beneath him.

He _knew_. Akechi _had_ to have known that it had been Shido who had uprooted his entire life and sent it spiraling into chaos. How much of Akechi’s curiosity regarding Akira came from the fact that they had been slighted by the same man?

Akira wondered if he had looked him in the eyes and shot him, knowing that they had a common enemy.

* * *

_Akira was sitting in the interrogation room. A person sat across from him – it was not Sae. A gun sat on the table in between them. Goro Akechi smiled as he picked it up, and he smiled when he leaned forward to position it under Akira’s chin._

_“We’re friends, aren’t we?” Akechi asked, that horrible smile marring his features._

_It didn’t look real either._

_“No,” Akira said. His voice did not waver. He knew this to be true._

_Akechi laughed. It was a bitter, jarring sound. “Such honesty! I suppose it explains why you never truly tried to help me then.”_

_“What do you mean?” Akira asked, confused._

_Akechi sat back in his seat. The gun remained trained on his head._

_“Can you think of_ anything _that you’ve done for me? You spent all this time running around with those confidants of yours. You could barely even spare me a passing conversation.”_

_Akira opened his mouth to protest, then closed it with a frown._

_“You’re supposed to_ help _people, Kurusu. The only thing you’ve ever helped me with was letting me die.”_

_“That’s not true,” said Akira, but his heart wasn’t in it._

_“Of course it’s true,” said Akechi. “You know it. Though I suppose, you left all those you ‘helped’ to the same fate, isn’t that right?”_

_When Akira tried to speak, he found that he couldn’t._

_“I_ wanted _to die. For me, it was a blessing. For everyone else…” Akechi trailed off, letting Akira come to the conclusion that Akechi was implying on his own._

_Akira no longer had a voice._

_“I guess that means you really_ were _kinder to me in the end. How twisted is that? How could you do that to the people you_ actually _cared about?”_

_Akechi’s expression only grew more hideous, turning into a horrible facsimile of something akin to a grin._

_“You let all those people die. You’re a murderer, Kurusu.”_

_Akechi leaned forward and jabbed the gun back under Akira’s chin, forcing him to tilt his head backwards._

_“If that’s true then… doesn’t that mean you deserve this?”_

Akira jerked awake before Akechi could pull the trigger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This may not be the best written chapter, but I think it might be one of my favorites. There's just something about Akira and Akechi interactions that gets me excited about writing. 
> 
> I think you guys are really starting to see that Akira has some serious issues now...
> 
> Hope you enjoyed :)


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira stumbled into the classroom with a migraine. He slumped forward in his desk, somehow managing not to scream as he buried his head into his arms.
> 
> “How much sleep did you get last night?” Morgana asked, sneaking out of Akira’s bag into his hiding place in Akira’s desk.
> 
> Akira groaned. “Not enough.”
> 
> Morgana looked about as sympathetic as a cat could look. “You should ask Takemi for some medicine to help you sleep.”
> 
> “Good idea. I’m going to fail these fucking exams,” said Akira.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a lot crammed into this one chapter. Hope it doesn't feel like too much!

Akira stumbled into the classroom with a migraine. He slumped forward in his desk, somehow managing not to scream as he buried his head into his arms.

“How much sleep did you get last night?” Morgana asked, sneaking out of Akira’s bag into his hiding place in Akira’s desk.

Akira groaned. “Not enough.”

Morgana looked about as sympathetic as a cat could look. “You should ask Takemi for some medicine to help you sleep.”

“Good idea. I’m going to fail these fucking exams,” said Akira.

A pencil poked him in the back of his head. He looked up to see Ann staring at him. Her worry somehow made her blue eyes seem bluer.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“I’m dying,” he complained. “I’m going to fail.”

Ann rolled her eyes. “If you’re complaining you’re fine. And you’re smarter than me and Ryuji combined. You’ll pass.”

“You have too much faith in me. Do you see these eye bags?”

Ann squinted. “They’re not too bad. I’ve got concealer in my bag if you want it.”

Akira put his head back down on the desk. “No thanks. It won’t help my suffering.”

Ann laughed. “Fair enough. What’s keeping you up anyway?”

Akira just shrugged.

“He gets nightmares,” Morgana said from inside the desk. Akira wanted to throw him out the window.

“Wait, really?” asked Ann.

“Can we please not talk about this right now? Or ever. Let’s never discuss this. Morgana, stop telling people about my trauma.”

Kawakami chose that moment to walk into the classroom.

“Alright, settle down. Take a seat. I hope you all studied for the exams today.”

Ann fixed him with a look that told him they would definitely be continuing this conversation later, then slid into her seat in front of him.

* * *

Exams weren’t as terrible as he had expected them to be. The answers for most of the questions rose from the depths of his subconscious, and Morgana talked him through the rest. That first day, however, had been a total blur. Ryuji had asked him about a question and Akira had just stared at him blankly, not remembering if it had been on the test.

He passed. Probably.

* * *

The final day of exams, Makoto caught up with him as he was leaving Shujin.

“Can we talk?” she asked him.

Akira gave her a tired smile. “Of course.”

She fell into step beside him, and they walked a bit in silence.

“Ann told me,” she said.

“Told you what?”

“About your trouble sleeping.”

Oh, great. A conversation about his issues. Just what he needs. Fantastic. Morgana should go tell Yusuke about the nightmares too, then they could have entire team meetings about it.

Akira sighed. “It’s fine. I just get them.”

Makoto nodded. “I’m not asking you to tell me about them. I just want to make sure you get enough sleep. What we do can be dangerous, after all.”

She was checking up on him.

Makoto was checking up on him the way he used to do for the others.

What the hell was he doing?

“You should be the team leader,” Akira blurted out.

Makoto’s eyes widened and her face turned red. “W-What?”

“It makes so much more sense,” Akira’s mouth said before his brain could catch up. “Think about it. You’ve got a powerful Persona. You’re good with strategy. You practically lead in the Metaverse anyway.”

Makoto shook her head. “You’re the leader, Akira. I feel comfortable with this _because_ you’re the leader. You get equipment for everyone. You find all the entrances and exits. You have all these connections with other people too. You keep track of the team inside the Metaverse and make sure everyone has enough energy to keep going. I would never be able to focus on the others that much, not while we’re fighting.”

Akira looked down. He felt the hot weight of shame settle in his stomach.

“I used to have trouble sleeping too, after my dad died,” said Makoto. Her voice was soft. “You can’t expect yourself to be perfect, Akira.”

_But I’m supposed to be_ , his mind protested.

“Go to bed early tonight,” she told him. “And ask that doctor for some medication to help you sleep.” It was less of a suggestion and more of a command.

Akira just smiled at her, though it felt a little forced. “Whatever you say, Queen.”

* * *

“Your performance in class has gotten worse,” said Kawakami, hands on her hips. She was wearing her maid outfit, and looked entirely unimpressed with his existence.

Akira had met Becky in this timeline very much the same way he had last time – through Mishima and Ryuji’s idiocy and the sheer strength of coincidence. Except, Akira hadn’t even had the decency to be embarrassed. He had laughed his entire way through the experience.

“I’m still passing, aren’t I?” said Akira.

Kawakami rolled her eyes. “Of course you are. You’re too smart to be failing. Your class rank is just lower than it should be.”

Akira raised an eyebrow. “Are you giving me a sneak peek into the exam results?”

“No,” she said, “I’m just telling you to get your shit together.”

“Oh great, thanks.” He flopped forward onto his bed. “Could you give me a massage now, please?” Akira asked, voice muffled by his pillow. “I’m paying you for this.”

She sighed. “Fine. How do you even get the money for this?”

“I’m a delinquent. I steal shit.”

Kawakami swatted his shoulder. “No, you do not.”

“I totally do,” he informed her. He wasn’t lying.

* * *

“You look tired,” said Yoshida. He was frowning in concern. “You don’t always need to help me, you know.”

Akira shot him a grin. “I’m literally just holding a sign. I’ll survive.”

Yoshida just shook his head, fighting a smile. “I won’t refuse your help then. Just make sure you’re getting enough sleep.”

_I wish I could_ , he thought to himself.

* * *

“Why didn’t you tell me you were having trouble sleeping earlier?” Takemi asked. She sounded exasperated.

Akira shrugged. “It didn’t seem like that big of a deal.”

Takemi looked like she was about to hit him upside the head with her clipboard. “How many hours of sleep are you getting each night?”

“Anywhere from three to five,” he said, nonchalantly.

She stared at him. “Are you an idiot? How are you not falling over?”

“It’s not like I have a choice in the matter,” he shot back.

Something in her eyes softened. “Well, I suppose I understand where your headaches are coming from. Wait here,” she told him.

“I’m not going anywhere,” said Akira.

Takemi disappeared into the backroom for a few minutes. Then she reappeared holding a bottle of medication. She shoved the bottle into his hands.

“This should help you sleep for at least six hours,” Takemi said.

“Great. Thanks,” said Akira, reaching for his bag to pay her. She stopped him.

“This one is on me,” she said.

Akira blinked at her in surprise. Then he gave her a smile that would've made anyone else blush.

“Thank you,” he said warmly.

"Yeah, yeah," she said, eyes fixed firmly on the papers attached to her clipboard. "Take them tonight."

The medication knocked him out for eight hours.

* * *

**_Private Message_ **

**_9:42 AM_ **

_Yusuke: One of my pieces will be on display tonight at an art showing._

_Yusuke: Would you be willing to accompany me?_

_Akira: of course_

* * *

**_Private Message_ **

**_8:31 PM_ **

_Ryuji: yo_

_Ryuji: theres something funky going on with the track team_

_Akira: what do you mean?_

_Ryuji: the new coach_

_Ryuji: he gives me weird vibes_

_Akira: want help?_

_Ryuji: dude_

_Ryuji: you’re my favorite person_

_Ryuji: ever_

_Akira: i’ll take that as a yes_

* * *

**_Private Message_ **

**_12:32 AM_ **

_Ann: okay i know its late but_

_Ann: pretty please could you come to my shoot tomorrow?_

_Ann: i could use the moral support_

_Akira: you know for a fact that i never sleep_

_Akira: it’s a date_

_Ann: yay!!_

_Ann:_ _☆_ _*:._ _｡_ _.o(_ _≧▽≦_ _)o._ _｡_ _.:*_ _☆_

* * *

Akira sighed and tossed his phone onto his bed. Morgana watched him from his perch on the desk.

“You help a lot of people,” the cat observed.

Akira shrugged. “A lot of people need help. Besides, they’re my friends.” He sat down on his bed and leaned back against the wall. Morgana leapt from the desk and onto the futon, settling down beside Akira.

“You’d do anything for your friends,” said Morgana. It wasn’t entirely a statement, but it wasn’t a question either.

“Of course,” he said. He thought about Futaba, alone in her room. He thought about the text he still hadn’t received. He exhaled slowly through his nose. “We need to target a big name next. Caution won’t help us get any further into Mementos.”

Morgana nodded in agreement. “What about the man Makoto mentioned. Do we know his name?”

_Junya Kaneshiro._

“No, but I think I can figure it out.”

Morgana gave him a puzzled look.

“Remember that reporter we ran into? She gave me her card,” Akira explained.

Morgana’s eyes lit up in understanding. “Oh! You’re gonna ask her?”

“I might,” said Akira. He sighed and placed a hand on Morgana’s head, scratching behind his ears. Morgana purred happily. “You know I haven’t forgotten about you, right? We’ll figure out what happened to your memories.”

Morgana pulled away from him. He fixed Akira with his intelligent, blue gaze. “You mean that?”

“Of course I do.”

Morgana stared at him for a moment. “What about you?”

Akira’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“Who helps you?” Morgana asked.

“Does that matter?” Akira asked, his frown deepening.

“It should.”

Akira rolled his eyes. “Isn’t it obvious? My friends do. You’ve _seen_ them help me.”

“But you never ask for it,” said Morgana, “even when you need it.”

Akira shifted uncomfortably. “Am I supposed to?” he asked. Just the thought of doing so made his stomach rebel against him.

“People ask you for help all the time,” Morgana told him.

Frustration welled up in Akira’s throat. Why didn’t Morgana get it?

“I’m different,” Akira insisted.

“Why?” Morgana asked.

Akira made an inarticulate gesture with his hands. “I just _am_.”

Morgana looked entirely unimpressed. “Are you better than us?”

“No!” Akira half shouted. He raked his hands through his hair. “I just- I _need_ to help everyone. Who else will?”

“But what about _you_?” Morgana pressed.

_“I don’t matter!_ ” Akira exploded. Morgana froze, his eyes wide. Akira realized he was standing, his chest heaving with panicked gasps. There was a beat of tense silence.

Akira sat back down on his bed. He slumped forward, bringing his knees to his chest. “Just… leave me alone, Morgana.” His voice was weary. He felt weight shift on the bed, and when he looked up, Morgana was long gone.

* * *

Morgana was still missing when Akira woke up. His eyes burned and his lungs felt too tight. He stumbled across the attic blearily, somehow managing to get dressed for school. The only reason why he had managed to sleep last night was because he had shoved three of Takemi’s pills down his throat at some time around four in the morning. He had hoped they would make him sleep in late and give him an excuse to call in sick, but he had still woken up five minutes before his alarm went off.

Akira felt oddly detached – like the world wasn’t pieced together right, and he couldn’t quite fit into his place within it. He wondered if it was a side effect of the medication, or if it was because Morgana had left him.

He didn’t blame Morgana. It was Akira’s fault; he shouldn’t have yelled at him.

Sojiro wasn’t downstairs that morning, and Akira left Leblanc without saying a word to anyone for the first time in months.

* * *

“Hi!” said Ann cheerfully. She fell into step beside him and bumped his shoulder with hers. It made him smile. In contrast, she frowned when she saw his face.

“You look terrible,” she said, not unkindly. “Are you taking your meds?”

Akira sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. “Yeah. I’m fine. They just make me drowsy in the morning sometimes.” It was a gentle lie; a half truth.

Ann nodded sympathetically. “I know I asked you to come to my shoot today after school, but…”

Akira shook his head. “It’s fine. I want to come.”

Her smile was so bright that it was blinding. “You’re the best, you know that?”

He grinned. “People say that to me often.”

Ann swatted him on the shoulder. “Don’t get cocky, mister.”

* * *

“Yo!” said Ryuji, waving to Ann and Akira down the hall. He made his way over to them. “Where’s the cat?” he asked.

Akira shrugged. “Don’t know.” He didn’t manage to keep his regret entirely out of his voice.

Ann gave him a scrutinizing look. “You two had a fight, didn’t you?”

“Something like that,” Akira said with a sigh. “I know he’ll be fine but… it was stupid of me.”

Ryuji scoffed. “It’s hard for me to imagine _you_ bein’ the problem here.”

“Ryuji!” Ann chastised.

“What? I’m just saying,” said Ryuji. “You say one thing to Mona and he flips his shit.”

“I accidentally yelled at him,” Akira admitted.

Ann and Ryuji stared at him.

“You _yelled_?” they both asked in unison. Akira winced.

“I can’t imagine you yelling,” said Ann.

“For real! You’re just too…” Ryuji waved his hands.

“Nice!” supplied Ann.

“Yeah! And that’s an understatement!”

Akira gave them both a tired smile, but he didn’t say anything in return. They walked to their classes in an awkward silence.

* * *

Morgana still wasn’t at Leblanc when Akira came back that night. Guilt weighed heavily in his stomach like a stone.

He staggered to his bed and collapsed onto it. He stared upwards at the dark ceiling, chewing on a storm of equally dark thoughts.

This has happened before – he _knew_ Morgana had a tendency to run off. He had been worried last time, but it hadn’t felt like this.

Akira supposed that last time hadn’t ended all bad. They had gained Haru, after all.

Actually, now that he was thinking about it, wouldn’t Okumura be a good person to target next?

The only reason why things had gone sour last time was because they had fallen right into Akechi’s trap. But if Akechi had no idea that the Phantom Thieves were targeting Okumura, then there was no way for him to pin his murder on them.

Akira frowned.

Why _had_ they decided to use Okumura as a trap? Akira struggled to picture Akechi killing someone just for the hell of it. It didn’t make sense. Unless…

Unless Okumura had already been a target on his list.

Pieces began to click into place.

Shido had wanted Okumura dead long before the Phantom Thieves came into the picture. Akechi had killed two birds with one stone. Which meant that without the Phantom Thieves to pin his death on, there was no way of predicting _when_ Akechi would decide to eliminate Okumura.

“Shit,” said Akira to no one but himself.

Okumura’s death was something he wanted to prevent. Not because he cared about the man, but because he cared about Haru.

If Okumura had no Palace, Akechi wouldn’t be able to kill him.

_Sorry, Futaba._

Akira, for the first time in weeks, finally understood what he had to do next.

Kunikazu Okumura would be the Phantom Thieves’ next target.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Akira is still meeting up with all of his old confidants, I just don't go into too much detail about that because it isn't really important to the main story here.
> 
> Akira's finally blown up! Funny how keeping everything repressed like that doesn't really work out. Ha...
> 
> Thanks for reading :3


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira scowled. An hour of research and all he had managed to find was a single quote. He scrolled back up to find the author’s name, hoping to see if they had published another article on the subject.
> 
> When he found it, he stared for a moment, blinking stupidly. Then, his lips curled upwards into a small smile.
> 
> Fate was a funny thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! How have you all been? Things have certainly been feeling crazy around here. I hope you guys have been taking care of yourselves!
> 
> This chapter is basically just setting up our next little mini arc, so it feels pretty short. Sorry about that! 
> 
> Happy reading!

Because there was no obvious evidence demonstrating that Okumura would be a suitable target for the Phantom Thieves at that point in time, Akira needed to do a bit of research.

With a goal in mind, it was easier to ignore Morgana’s gaping absence in his life. It had only been a couple days since the cat had left, but none of the Thieves had heard from him. Worry gnawed at his mind, but Akira ignored it in favor of scrolling through news articles on his phone.

With all the noise that had stirred up around Okumura Foods, Akira had been expecting there to be more speculation to be found about his misdeeds. Instead, there was a frustrating lack of anything substantial. It was almost eerie; it demonstrated just how much sway Shido had over the media.

Akira swallowed.

He had been at it for about an hour and was ready to give up when an inconspicuous article caught his eye. He tapped on the link and scrolled, spirits lifting as he read.

****

**_Kunikazu Okumura: Too Harsh a Slave Driver?_ **

_Okumura Foods is one of largest corporations in Japan. It controls a variety of chain restaurants, including but not limited to the popular Big Bang Burger. At the head of this corporation, sits its CEO, Kunikazu Okumura._

_Okumura is the second CEO of the company. He inherited the position from his father, who founded the corporation twenty years ago. A few years into his new role, Okumura implemented drastic changes into Okumura Foods’ work policy._

_Interviews with employees revealed many of these policy changes. Koichi Okita, an old manager of a local Big Bang Burger, admitted to leaving his position after being threatened to be fired because he ignored the new work hours set for part timers. A high school student who worked part time (who wished to remain anonymous), stated “… I worked for twelve hours straight. I had no lunch break. I got yelled at by my boss when I left to use the bathroom. I quit the next day.”_

_More research is required to see if these interviews are backed with more solid proof._

Akira scowled. An hour of research and all he had managed to find was a single quote. He scrolled back up to find the author’s name, hoping to see if they had published another article on the subject.

When he found it, he stared for a moment, blinking stupidly. Then, his lips curled upwards into a small smile.

Fate was a funny thing.

* * *

Akira stared at the entrance of the Crossroads, toying with the strap of the bag he had grabbed out of habit.

It was somewhat odd, to be back in Shinjuku. He had caught a glimpse of Chihaya at her usual spot. He’d been tempted to go talk to her, but he was already almost late for the time he had set for meeting Ohya.

He took a deep breath, then pushed the door open and walked inside.

“Welcome to the Crossroads,” said Lala, shooting him a smile. Then she frowned when she caught a better look at his face. “Aren’t you too young to be in here, boy?”

Akira gave her a small smile. “Actually, I’m here to meet-”

“He’s with me, Lala-chan!” a familiar voice slurred from the bar. Ohya was slumped over her drink at her usual place. She waved enthusiastically at Akira. Her elbow bumped her glass, and some of her drink sloshed onto the bar.

“Ohya!” Lala said with a scowl, grabbing a towel to mop the mess up. “You know you can’t invite minors to a bar.”

“Psht,” said Ohya, waving her hand in an exaggerated gesture. “He’s perfectly responsible. Right, Kurusu-kun?” She winked at him.

Akira nodded solemnly. “I am perfectly responsible.”

Lala sighed. “Fine, but the only drink you will be served here is water.”

“Of course,” said Akira. He slid into the seat next to Ohya, who put her chin in her hand and leaned forward to inspect him.

“Aw, you’re kinda cute,” she said, poking him in the cheek. Akira gently pushed her hand away.

“Stop flirting with the kid. It’s weird,” said Lala, sounding bemused.

“I’m not flirting!” Ohya protested. “He’s like, baby cute. He’s a baby.”

It took all of Akira’s willpower to keep from laughing. “How many drinks have you had?” he asked, unable to keep his amusement out of his voice.

Ohya thought for a moment. “I dunno. Does it matter?”

Akira turned to Lala. “Maybe you should get us _both_ some water.”

Lala raised an eyebrow. “You _are_ responsible.”

Ohya slammed her hand down onto the table. “No fun! You’re supposed to be fun!” she said, pointing a finger at Akira.

Akira just shrugged.

Ohya sighed. “Fine then. Tell me about the Phantom Thieves!”

Akira laughed. “That was abrupt.”

“D’you want your info or not?” she asked, ignoring the glass of water Lala placed in front of her.

“Of course I do.”

“So tell me!” said Ohya. “If your info is good, I’ll give you some of mine.”

“Fair enough,” said Akira. He twirled a strand of his hair around his finger, pausing to think. “Personally, I don’t know much about the Phantom Thieves. I _am,_ however, friends with the guy who started the Phansite. I also was… _involved_ with the Kamoshida incident, but I know that story’s cold by now.”

Ohya hummed, drumming her fingers against the wooden bar. She suddenly seemed a lot less drunk than before. “Does your friend know who the Phantom Thieves are?”

Akira shook his head. “No. He said they’re pretty tightlipped about all of that. He _does_ know who all of their minor targets were though.”

“Minor targets?” asked Ohya.

“Yeah. According to Mishima they’ve been answering some of the smaller requests put up on the Phansite. He’s helped them get into contact with some of the people who made the requests. Other than that he doesn’t know much. It might give you a better idea of how the Phantom Thieves operate.”

Ohya nodded in agreement. “It’s worth looking into. You think you could give me his number?”

“Sure,” Akira said easily.

_Sorry, Mishima._

He wrote Mishima’s number on a napkin and slid it towards her. “I’ll tell him you want to talk to him.”

“Thanks,” Ohya said with a grin, folding the napkin and slipping it into her pocket. Then she looked at Akira for a moment. “You talk about the Phantom Thieves like you’re a fan of them.”

“Really?” asked Akira, raising an eyebrow. “I thought I was being fairly neutral.”

“You do have a good poker face, but I could see it in your eyes.” She poked him on the forehead. “You like ‘em.”

“Could you stop poking my face please?” Akira asked.

“Nope,” said Ohya, poking him on the nose. “Admit you like the Phantom Thieves.”

“I like the Phantom Thieves,” said Akira.

“Wow! We’ve got ourselves a Phanboy, Lala-chan!”

Akira rolled his eyes.

“Tell me, why _do_ you like them?” Ohya asked.

Akira exhaled slowly. “Honestly? Because they took care of Kamoshida.”

Ohya grinned. “How simple! I like that. So if you’re a fan that means you’ve been following them pretty closely.”

“Sure,” said Akira. He felt oddly like he was being interviewed by Sae again. It was unnerving.

“Then you’ve noticed they’ve been inactive way longer than they were between the Kamoshida and Madarame cases?”

“I guess.”

“Why do you think they haven’t gone after their next target then?” Ohya asked.

“I don’t know,” lied Akira. “Maybe they’re just looking for their next target.”

“Is that what you’re here to do?” asked Ohya. Her voice was so casual that Akira almost missed the implication in her question.

Akira stared at her for a moment. Then he burst out laughing. “Do I really seem like a Phantom Thief to you?”

Ohya took a sip of her water. Then she frowned at it, as if she had forgotten it wasn’t alcohol. “I dunno. You’re pretty cool for a high schooler. I could see you being a vigilante justice fighter.”

Akira laughed again. “No, I’m definitely not. I kind of wish I was though.”

Ohya studied him. “Okay. I believe you. You wanted to know about Okumura, right?”

Akira nodded, taken a bit by surprise by the sudden change in subject.

Ohya grabbed a bag that was sitting in a chair next to her. She rifled through it, then pulled out a tattered black notebook. She passed it to Akira.

“What’s this?” he asked, turning it over in his hands.

“All of my research from the Okumura case. I never finished,” Ohya told him.

“You’re giving this to me?” Akira asked.

Ohya waved a hand. “Sure. I don’t need it anymore.”

“What if Mishima turns out to be a dead end and you gave me all of this for nothing?” Akira asked.

Ohya grin was as sharp as Joker’s knives. “Well then, I guess that you’ll owe me.”

* * *

**_The Phantom Thieves_ **

**_10:32 PM_ **

_Joker: i think i found our next target_

_Skull: dude?? srsly??_

_Joker: yes_

_Fox: How did you make this discovery?_

_Joker: skull, panther_

_Joker: you two remember the journalist we ran into when we were scouting out madarame’s palace?_

_Skull: oh yeah i remember her_

_Joker: she’s the one who gave me the info_

_Joker: it seems pretty legitimate_

_Panther: ohhhh_

_Panther: who is it?_

_Queen: I think this is something that is best to discuss in person._

_Joker: i agree_

_Joker: are you all free tomorrow?_

_Skull: yup_

_Panther: yes!!_

_Fox: I should be able to make time._

_Queen: I am free as well._

_Joker: great_

_Joker: meeting at leblanc after school_

_Panther: got it!_

_Panther:_ _Ｏ_ _(_ _≧▽≦_ _)_ _Ｏ_

* * *

Makoto flipped through the notebook. There was a small crease set in between her eyebrows. Yusuke was behind her, reading over her shoulder. Ann and Ryuji had arrived together and had a brief scuffle over who would claim Akira’s bed. Ann won (because of course she did), so Ryuji settled for sitting on the couch next to Akira. The two bantered good naturedly. Makoto’s eyebrow twitched.

“Are you two even remotely interested in this information?” she asked. The two blondes froze and exchanged glances.

“It’s just that-” Ann began.

“We trust Akira!” Ryuji hurriedly finished.

Ann nodded frantically.

Makoto sighed. “So you’re saying that if Akira says this person is a good target, then you automatically agree.”

“Uh, yeah?” said Ryuji.

Makoto pinched the bridge of her nose.

“I am curious about why you chose this particular man,” said Yusuke.

“I am as well,” said Makoto. “There has been no news coverage of any of the information you have gathered. How did you even come up with his name?”

“I was doing some research on that reporter,” Akira lied. “Before she got into writing articles for entertainment, she was one hell of an investigative journalist. All of her older articles were so thorough that the one on Okumura caught my eye. She had barely written anything about him.”

“You met her because of that?” Makoto asked.

Akira shrugged. “I guess. Some of it was gut instinct. I couldn’t help but think that maybe all of this had been covered up. She told me she never finished her research. She didn’t tell me why, but I have a feeling it’s because someone told her to stop looking.”

Lying to his friends was becoming terribly easy.

“Very well then. I trust your judgement,” said Yusuke.

Makoto nodded. “He seems as good a target as any.”

Akira’s stomach twisted into knots. He knew he couldn’t tell them the truth, but manipulating his friends still made him feel somewhat sick. Even if his intentions were good, what he was doing wasn’t right.

Akira shoved his misgivings deep down under everything else he had to deal with. Now wasn’t the time to be having second thoughts. He had to help Haru.

“We just have one problem,” said Akira.

“What is it?” asked Ann.

“We’re missing a member.”

The silence that weighed on them was heavy.

Akira was suddenly hit with a rush of déjà vu. This was just like last time. All they were missing was Futaba.

“I can’t believe he’s still gone,” Ryuji said with a groan.

“So… what? Do we wait for him?” asked Ann.

“It doesn’t feel right to target someone without his input,” said Yusuke.

Akira sighed, fiddling with his phone. “I know. Can we at least check and see if Okumura has a Palace? I can’t do that.”

“Oh, right,” said Ryuji. “I keep forgetting about that.”

Makoto opened the MetaNav on her phone. “Kunikazu Okumura.”

_“Candidate found.”_

There was another moment of silence. This one was longer.

“Akira… I don’t want to push but…” Makoto trailed off.

“You want to know what happened between me and Morgana.”

“Yes.”

Akira was quiet for a moment. “I snapped at him, but it wasn’t something that should have driven him away. At least, not for this long.”

“Maybe he’s in trouble?” asked Ann. Her voice wavered.

“Nah, he can take care of himself,” said Ryuji.

They all looked at him.

“What? I’m bein’ serious! He was alone before he met us. I bet he just got distracted by somethin’ and that’s why he hasn’t come back yet.”

 _Or maybe he just hates me now_ , Akira thought miserably.

“Let’s wait until summer break,” said Akira instead, while his brain was in the midst of throwing himself a pity party. “We’ve only got a few more days of school left. Then we can figure out what to do with this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had absolutely way too much fun with that scene with Ohya. She's hilarious. I love her.
> 
> Akira's a good liar, but that doesn't mean he likes to do it. I know the feeling very well.
> 
> Next chapter we get more things happening!


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sojiro was right about there not being many customers. Akira was mostly bored. He entertained himself with wiping down all the tables, sweeping the floors, and then wiping down the tables again. It didn’t help that it was hot. He had taken off his glasses when he felt sweat begin to gather underneath them. He rubbed the back of his neck and his hand came away damp. He grimaced. Sojiro needed to invest in some AC.
> 
> He was sitting sprawled out at a booth, fanning himself with a newspaper Sojiro had left behind the counter and considering the futility of even having the café open today, when the bell attached to the door chimed.
> 
> Normally, Akira would have rushed to standing, but the oppressive heat was making him lethargic. He cracked open an eye with a massive amount of effort. He blinked at the person standing there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! For good this time, hopefully. The wave of support I got from you guys was absolutely overwhelming. I've deleted that last "chapter" so it doesn't get in the way of new readers coming in trying to enjoy the story. My apologies if I didn't end up replying to your comment. I did intend to get to everyone, but I was expecting about 30 comments and I ended up with around 70. Needless to say, I was surprised. Just know that I read every comment down to the last word, and I appreciate you all immensely.
> 
> It's been a long time since I've touched this fic, and this chapter is short and isn't the best. So to make up for that I'll be posting two chapters today. I'm planning on returning to my twice a week update schedule. The real problem is that I've hit a wall in two future chapters. Mainly Chapter 32. However, I should be able to post pretty regularly up until that point.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy!

On his first day of summer break, Akira found himself stuck working at Leblanc.

Sojiro had shoved an apron into his hands and said, “Something came up and I have to go out today. It’s hot out so there won’t be many customers. You’ll be fine on your own.” With that he had turned around and walked out the door, leaving Akira staring stupidly at the apron in his hands.

It took his brain a minute to catch up with the fact the Sojiro had left him to watch Leblanc _alone_. On the first day of his summer vacation. He sighed and tied the apron around his waist; it’s not like he had any plans anyway.

Sojiro was right about there not being many customers. Akira was mostly bored. He entertained himself with wiping down all the tables, sweeping the floors, and then wiping down the tables again. It didn’t help that it was hot. He had taken off his glasses when he felt sweat begin to gather underneath them. He rubbed the back of his neck and his hand came away damp. He grimaced. Sojiro needed to invest in some AC.

He was sitting sprawled out at a booth, fanning himself with a newspaper Sojiro had left behind the counter and considering the futility of even having the café open today, when the bell attached to the door chimed.

Normally, Akira would have rushed to standing, but the oppressive heat was making him lethargic. He cracked open an eye with a massive amount of effort. He blinked at the person standing there.

It was Haru Okumura.

_… What?_

He blinked again. She was still standing there, a polite smile on her face. He almost greeted her casually before he remembered he wasn’t supposed to know her.

Akira dragged himself to his feet and gave her an apologetic smile. “Ah, sorry about that. Welcome to Leblanc. What can I get for you?”

“I’m actually not here for coffee,” Haru admitted, looking sheepish. She unzipped the bag she was holding, and a familiar furry head popped out.

Akira gasped. “Morgana!” He darted forward and pulled the cat out of the bag, pressing him to his chest in a hug. The cat complained loudly, squirming in his grasp.

“Akira! Let me go!”

Akira ignored him, burying his nose into Morgana’s fur. “I’m sorry for yelling at you,” he mumbled.

Morgana grew still. “I’m not mad at you,” he said. He sounded a bit guilty.

“Mona-chan was helping me,” said Haru.

Akira blinked at her, and suddenly everything made _sense_. Ryuji had been right – Morgana hadn’t run away, he’d just been distracted. He resisted the urge to laugh.

Instead, Akira gently placed Morgana on a table and gave Haru a curious look. “You can understand him?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said.

“So you’ve been inside the Metaverse?”

“Yes,” she said again.

“Her father has a Palace,” said Morgana. “That’s why I’ve been gone for a few days. I’ve been helping her navigate through it.”

“I’m guessing you ended up needing our help,” said Akira.

Morgana bristled. “We could’ve gotten through just fine without you!”

Akira nodded agreeably. “Of course, but that’s a lot harder than necessary. We’re your friends. Of course we’ll help.”

Morgana had the decency to look somewhat embarrassed.

Akira smiled at Haru and inclined his head. “I’m Akira Kurusu. Pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Oh no, the pleasure is mine. My name is Haru Okumura.”

Akira made sure to look properly surprised, before finally giving into his urge to laugh.

Haru looked confused. “Is something funny?”

“Only fate, Okumura-san. How would you like to meet the rest of the Phantom Thieves?”

* * *

“No. Freakin’. Way.” Ryuji was openly gawking at Haru, who was beginning to look somewhat uncomfortable with the attention.

“This is indeed an interesting turn of events,” said Yusuke, looking thoughtful.

“You guys were seriously looking into Okumura already?” Morgana asked.

“Yeah!” said Ann. “It was Akira’s idea. He found the info.”

“What a coincidence,” said Morgana, staring at Akira. He resisted the urge to squirm in his seat.

“Well, I suppose this is convenient,” said Makoto. “I’m assuming that you have the keywords for the Palace?”

“Yes,” said Haru.

“And you have a Persona?”

“Yes, but…”

“Her skills are weak,” said Morgana. Haru winced.

Akira shrugged. “Who cares? I don’t even have one.”

Haru’s eyes widened. “You don’t?” she asked.

“Nope,” said Akira.

“But… you’re the leader?”

Akira laughed. “I’m more like the manager than anything else. Oh wait, we should get me a costume so I fit in.”

“For real dude?” Ryuji asked.

“Hell yeah,” said Akira.

“Can we please stay focused?” said Makoto, sounding exasperated.

“Right,” said Akira. “Kunikazu Okumura will be our next target. Any objections?”

His question was met with silence.

“So it’s unanimous then. Would you mind taking us to his Palace tomorrow?” he asked Haru.

“Not at all,” she said with a shake of her head.

“Great. Everyone rest up. And if any of you make _one_ comment about how I never sleep I’m quitting the Phantom Thieves.”

Ann and Ryuji both shut their mouths, looking properly chastised. Haru giggled, which made Akira smile a bit.

* * *

The rest of the Thieves trickled out of Leblanc over the course of a few hours. The sun was beginning to set, and Akira went outside to flip the sign. He walked back inside to find Haru sitting at the counter. Morgana was curled up on her lap, fast asleep, and she was running an absentminded hand through his fur.

“I’m guessing you want to talk,” said Akira, sliding into the seat next to her. His voice seemed to bring her out of her reverie, and she gave him a small smile.

“Yes I would… If that’s alright?”

“Of course it’s fine. What’s up?”

Haru frowned at the counter. “I go to Shujin you know.”

“Oh yeah, I did know that. You’re a third year, right? I guess a should be calling you Okumura-senpai then.” He said, lips quirking upwards.

“Are you going to?” she asked, tone so serious that Akira was briefly taken aback.

“I’ll call you whatever you want me to,” he told her.

“Then please, call me Haru,” she said. There was a hint of desperation in her voice. He recognized it because he had heard it in his own. She was tired of being lonely.

“Sure, Haru,” he said. Her name slid off his tongue like he had said hundreds of times before. Because he had, but she didn’t know that.

Her cheeks turned a bit pink.

“What will you call me then?” Akira asked.

“Would it bother you if I referred to you as Akira?” she asked.

“Not at all.”

Her eyes sparkled. “I see that I need to try a bit harder then. Perhaps I’ll call you Aki-kun.”

Akira was unfazed. “If you want to see me squirm, you’ll have to try a bit harder than that.”

Haru laughed, delighted. “Very well then, _Aki-chan_.”

Akira clutched his shirt in mock agony. “Oh no! That’s too much. Keep this up and I might just fall in love with you!”

Haru gave him a look of faux horror. “Oh no! Anything but that!”

Akira laughed. They sat for a moment in companionable silence. Morgana snored.

“What did you want to talk to me about?” Akira asked.

Haru looked at him. She didn’t reply for a few seconds.

“Is this really going to work?” she asked, voice quiet.

Akira closed his eyes. It was a mistake. All he could see was Kunikazu Okumura dying on camera, over and over again. His fingers twitched.

He took a deep breath before speaking. “The Phantom Thieves have had three targets.”

Haru frowned. “But I only heard-”

“About two,” Akira finished. “That’s because the third was Makoto’s sister.”

Haru’s eyes widened.

“Madarame was practically Yusuke’s father as well,” Akira continued. “We’ve changed the hearts of people we’ve cared about before. It hasn’t failed us yet.”

Haru sighed. She gently scratched the stop of Morgana’s head. His ears twitched.

“Do you really believe this is the right thing to do?” she asked.

Akira gave her his most convincing smile. It didn’t waver.

“Yes, I do.”

* * *

**_The Phantom Thieves_ **

**_2:01 AM_ **

_Joker: okay but i was serious about the costume_

_Skull: dude…_

_Panther: go to bed_

_Joker: you both like to talk shit but guess what_

_Joker: you’re awake right now too_

_Skull: fuck he’s right_

_Panther: -_-_

_Joker: it’s summer vacation leave me alone_

**_9:03 AM_ **

_Fox: I would be willing to help you design a costume if you still desire one._

_Joker: yusuke you’re the best you know that_

_Queen: How much sleep did you get last night?_

_Joker: enough._

_Queen: That isn’t an answer._

* * *

“Noir has the best costume,” Joker announced.

Skull spluttered in protest. “Hey! Mine is awesome!”

“I rather enjoy Queen’s actually,” Noir admitted.

Queen flushed a bit behind her mask.

“Yeah hers is great, but I like your hat. Can I wear your hat?”

Noir laughed and passed it to Joker, who placed it on top of his unruly mop of hair with a grin.

Panther squinted at him. “I hate that it kind of suits you.”

Fox was framing him with his fingers. “I would have to agree.”

“That’s because I am a true gentleman thief,” said Joker. He took it off his head with a flourish and bowed at the waist. “Leader of the Phantom Thieves at your service.”

“You look like a friggin’ butler,” Skull griped.

In retaliation, Joker plopped the hat firmly on Skull’s head. He grimaced. “Oh man, that looks terrible on you.”

“That’s because Skull could never begin to be anything like a gentleman,” said Mona.

Panther and Noir burst into laughter. Skull’s face turned red.

Queen sighed. “Why do we always end up so off track? Can we focus please?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still haven't beat P5R. Something about this quarantine has sucked all of my energy and motivation out of my body. Hopefully posting again will inspire me to finish, but I really don't want to have to deal with Okumura's Palace. Ughhhhh. I hope you guys have been doing well!


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira was in a good mood. The Phantom Thieves had been making great progress in Okumura’s Palace, and yesterday’s Mementos run had resulted in enough cash that everyone got new gear.
> 
> Sojiro had left him to watch the café while he ran some errands nearby. Akira hummed cheerfully as he wiped down the counter. It was hot again today, as summer days tended to be, that when someone walked through the door it came as somewhat a surprise.
> 
> “Welcome to Leblanc. How can I help-” Akira faltered. Standing in front of the door was Sae Nijima.
> 
> “Is something wrong?” she asked frowning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, here's the second chapter for today! I feel a little out of it, but I'm not one to ignore motivation when it comes, so feel free to point out any mistakes you may see!

Akira was in a good mood. The Phantom Thieves had been making great progress in Okumura’s Palace, and yesterday’s Mementos run had resulted in enough cash that everyone got new gear.

Sojiro had left him to watch the café while he ran some errands nearby. Akira hummed cheerfully as he wiped down the counter. It was hot again today, as summer days tended to be, that when someone walked through the door it came as somewhat a surprise.

“Welcome to Leblanc. How can I help-” Akira faltered. Standing in front of the door was Sae Nijima.

“Is something wrong?” she asked frowning.

“Oh sorry. Nothing’s wrong. You just look a lot like your sister. It gave me the weirdest sense of déjà vu.”

Sae’s frown deepened. “You know Makoto?” she asked. “How do you know her?”

Shit. Wrong answer.

“From school,” said Akira. “I go to Shujin.”

This did not appease Sae.

“And how do you know who I am?” Sae asked.

Fuck.

“She’s mentioned you before. We study together in the library sometimes,” said Akira.

Sae continued to eye him suspiciously. Akira swallowed. He wished he’d thought to ask Makoto how much she had told Sae about the Phantom Thieves.

“Would you consider yourself to be _friends_ with my sister?” Sae asked.

Akira shrugged nonchalantly. “We’re friendly, yeah. Would you like some coffee?”

Sae blinked at the sudden change in subject. “No. I was actually wondering where I could find Sojiro Sakura.”

Oh right. She was here to ask him about Wakaba’s research. Akira had forgotten about that.

“Here, in about ten minutes,” Akira informed her. “He went to go run some errands. He should be back soon. Would you like some coffee in the meantime?” Akira asked.

She sighed. “Yes, that would be fine”

Sae settled into her usual seat while Akira bustled about behind the counter. He felt her watching him with an appraising stare.

“Have you been here before?” Akira asked conversationally. “I haven’t seen you around.”

“Ah, yes I have. The coffee here is better than anywhere else in the city. Are you a new part timer?” Sae replied.

“Something like that,” said Akira, giving her a smile. “I’m surprised I haven’t seen you before.”

“I haven’t really had the time to stop by lately,” Sae admitted.

“Work keeping you busy?” Akira asked.

“Something like that,” said Sae, raising an eyebrow at him.

Akira’s own smile turned into a sharp grin. “Touché.”

They lapsed into silence. It was surprisingly comfortable, considering the oddly tense nature of their previous conversation. Akira was placing her mug of coffee in front of her when the bells on the door chimed. Sojiro stepped inside, laden with bags of groceries.

“Hey kid, come help me carry…” Sojiro trailed off when he noticed Sae sitting at the counter.

The air in the café immediately turned hostile. Akira stepped around the counter to relieve Sojiro of the bags he was carrying. This did not interrupt the staring contest between the two adults in the room.

“The hell do you want?” Sojiro asked, shoulders tightening. “I’ve already told you what I know.”

“I know,” said Sae calmly. “I’m just here for a follow up.”

Sojiro blinked in surprise. He had clearly been expecting her to pressure him.

“Huh,” said Sojiro, tone slightly disbelieving. “What’s with the sudden change of heart?”

Sae stiffened minutely. Akira exchanged a glance with Morgana, who had remained silent and hidden throughout the duration of the day.

“I just need for you to confirm that these statements are true,” said Sae, ignoring his question. She pulled a few papers out of her briefcase and passed them to Sojiro.

Sojiro skimmed through them, eyebrow raising. “You’re saying I need to confirm that I don’t know jack shit.”

Sae’s lips twitched up in a smile. “Precisely.”

“Huh,” said Sojiro again. “You got a pen I can sign these with?”

Sae passed him a pen. He signed the papers.

“Thank you for your cooperation,” said Sae, accepting the pen and the papers back from him. “Now if you don’t mind, I’d like to finish my coffee.”

Sojiro nodded, still looking a bit stunned at the interaction. He joined Akira behind the counter, who was shoving ingredients into the refrigerator while pretending to be entirely uninterested in the conversation that had just transpired.

“Don’t you ask about that,” Sojiro hissed to him, “because I won’t tell you a damn thing.”

“I’d never dream of it,” said Akira. He stared at the tomatoes in his hands. “Do tomatoes go in the fridge or not?”

Sojiro pinched the bridge of his nose. “Kid…”

“What?” Akira asked. “Am I not allowed to ask about that either?”

Sojiro hit the back of his neck with a towel. Akira yelped and ducked his head, shooting Sojiro a cheeky smile.

“Don’t make me hit you again,” Sojiro warned, raising the towel threateningly. Akira hastily placed the tomatoes in the fridge next to the other produce.

* * *

“You lie alarmingly easily,” Morgana noted while Akira was brushing his teeth.

Akira spat out toothpaste. Then he shrugged. “It’s a good skill for a thief to have. On a different note, it looks like our change of heart on Makoto’s sister really worked.”

Morgana agreed. “We should ask Makoto how much she told her though.”

“Yeah. I was thinking the same thing. I did not enjoy being clueless about the whole situation while she stared me down. That woman is terrifying.”

“Definitely,” said Morgana.

Akira rinsed out his toothbrush before making his way up the stairs to the attic. Morgana trailed behind him at his heels.

He was slipping his arms through the sleeves of his pajama shirt when his phone buzzed from where he had left it on his desk. Akira padded over to it and picked it up. It buzzed in his hand with another notification as he unlocked it. He had received a series of texts. His eyes widened as he saw who had sent them.

**_Private Message_ **

**_9:43 PM_ **

_Alibaba: Hello, Leader of the Phantom Thieves._

_Alibaba: I know of your identities._

_Alibaba: If you do not wish for this information to be sent to the police then you will comply with my request._

_Seriously, Futaba? You couldn’t have texted me three weeks ago?_ he griped to himself.

“What is it?” Morgana asked.

Akira silently showed him the texts. Morgana’s eyes grew as round as saucers.

“Shit!” he hissed. “What do we do?”

Akira set his name in the chat to ‘Joker’ for dramatic flair.

“Really, Akira?” Morgana asked. “This is serious!”

**_Private Message_ **

**_9:45 PM_ **

_Joker: Who are you?_

_Alibaba: That does not matter._

_Alibaba: You will comply with my request._

_Joker: Very well._

_Joker: What do you want?_

_Alibaba: I want you to steal someone’s heart._

_Joker: Whose?_

**_[Error. Message could not be sent.]_ **

Akira was promptly kicked from the chatroom.

“Damn,” he said.

“What?” asked Morgana. “What do we do?”

“We wait for them to get back to us, I guess,” said Akira.

“Would it kill you to be a little more concerned?” Morgana looked like he wanted to introduce Akira’s face to his claws.

“Probably. We should tell the others about this.”

* * *

**_The Phantom Thieves_ **

**_10:10 PM_ **

_Joker: so yeah_

_Joker: that’s what happened_

_Skull: WHAT THE HELL_

_Panther: WHAT THE HELL_

_Queen: And you can’t get screenshots of this?_

_Joker: i got kicked out of the chatroom_

_Skull: but you cant get kicked out of a private message_

_Skull: right???_

_Joker: yep_

_Joker: i think they’re a hacker_

_Queen: Considering the fact that they had your chat ID and the way they manipulated this app, I would have to agree._

_Skull: holy shit_

_Panther: this is terrifying_

_Noir: You said that they wanted you to steal someone’s heart?_

_Joker: correct_

_Joker: which is why i think we need to get through this palace as fast as we can_

_Joker: that way we can be ready when they tell us who the target is_

_Noir: I see…_

_Queen: Yes, I believe that is the best course of action as well._

_Joker: palace run is still on for tomorrow_

_Joker: we’re going to push through as much as we can so_

_Joker: be prepared to bust your asses_

_Skull: got it!_

* * *

Joker reloaded his gun, watching as Noir danced around the Shadow. With a shout, she summoned her Persona. The enemy was obliterated before any of her teammates had a chance to get a hit in.

Joker whistled appreciatively.

“Holy shit man,” said Skull, gawking.

“I know right,” said Panther, pride in her voice. “It’s hard to believe we considered her to be weak a few days ago.”

“Let’s keep moving,” said Joker. He walked forward to catch up with the others.

“Right!” Panther and Skull said in unison.

* * *

**_Private Message_ **

**_9:42 AM_ **

_Kurusu: hey_

_Kurusu: think you could get a calling card posted on the phansite?_

_Mishima: Oh yeah, for sure._

_Mishima: Have you found your next target?_

_Kurusu: i haven’t found anything_

_Kurusu: i just figured that the phantom thieves could do with a bit of publicity_

_Mishima: Of course, of course._

_Kurusu: ill send it to you tomorrow_

_Mishima: Got it!_

* * *

“And he just needs to read this?” asked Haru, holding the bloodred calling card between her deceptively delicate fingers.

“Yes,” said Morgana from his perch on Akira’s shoulder.

“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Makoto asked.

Haru nodded. Her eyes burned with a quiet heat. “Yes,” she said. There was an air of finality in her voice that kept them from asking again.

* * *

Paranoia skittered up Akira’s spine as the Palace turned into rubble around them. Okumura’s words were still ringing in his years.

_“There is a man in a black mask, doing whatever he wants within this world.”_

He found himself wishing that he hadn’t asked Mishima to post the calling card on the Phansite. They needed to make the public aware of who they were targeting but… if Akechi had seen it…

Akira was gambling everything on the hope that Akechi hadn’t gotten the chance to scope out Okumura’s Palace.

They stumbled back into the real world, exhausted and out of breath.

Akira’s nerves were frayed; Ryuji put a hand on his shoulder, and he jumped about five feet into the air.

“Woah man, you okay?” Ryuji asked.

Akira clenched his hands into fists to hide that they were shaking. “I’m fine. I’m just tired. I know we usually hang out after but I’m not really feeling up to it tonight.”

“Neither am I,” said Haru. She sounded relieved.

“We can meet up tomorrow,” said Makoto.

Yusuke nodded. “Very well.”

The group dispersed.

Akira watched as Makoto hesitantly trailed behind Haru, before finally working up the nerve to walk beside her. Haru gave her a grateful smile.

That was good. Haru needed a friend tonight.

_Speaking of needing a friend…_

“You sure you’re okay?” asked Ryuji. He hadn’t moved from his place by Akira’s side.

“No,” said Akira. “Wanna get some ramen?”

Ryuji looked surprised at both his honesty and his invitation.

“I thought you didn’t feel like hanging out?” asked Morgana.

“I always want to hang out with Ryuji,” said Akira.

Ryuji’s face turned bright red. “D-Dude! You can’t just say shit like that!”

Morgana made a face. “Well I definitely don’t.”

Ryuji went from embarrassed to offended faster than Akira could blink.

“Hey!” he complained, but Morgana was already leaping from his perch in Akira’s bag.

“Lady Ann!” the cat cried out, tail streaking behind him as he raced to catch up. “Wait for me!”

“Damn cat,” Ryuji growled.

Akira couldn’t help but smile. “Come on,” he said. They walked to the train station together. Akira felt the tension in his chest beginning to unravel.

* * *

“It’s just that- ugh. It’s just that sometimes I can’t help but feel like something has to go wrong,” Akira confessed.

“Why?” Ryuji asked.

The look Akira gave him must have been entirely unimpressed because suddenly Ryuji was scrambling to explain.

“I just mean that you’re so friggin’ smart. And like, all your plans are so well thought out. Sometimes you just have all this confidence man, and it’s for a good reason! You’re the most capable person I know. I’m tryin’ to say that you’ve got no reason to be freaked out.”

Akira sighed. His hands were still shaking. He wanted a hug.

“I was right about there being another Persona user. You heard what Okumura said.”

Ryuji’s eyes widened. “Holy shit. I didn’t even think about that. You think this dude in the black mask is causing the mental shutdowns?”

“Yeah. I’m betting Makoto will agree with me too. It just fits too well with what we were already thinking.”

“Damn,” Ryuji breathed. They both stared into their bowls; Ryuji’s was empty, while Akira’s was halfway full and getting cold.

“I just keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. We’ve been avoiding this guy so far, but what if we run into him in Mementos? What if he sees my _face_? I don’t have a mask, remember.”

“Akira,” said Ryuji, voice low and calm.

“Things are going to go wrong at _some point_. Things always do. And I- I know I could be doing so much more for everyone. I _should_ be doing more. I’m gonna mess up and things are going to end up fucked _again_ and I’m not gonna get another chance-”

“Akira!” Ryuji half shouted, bringing Akira’s rambling to a halt.

Akira’s eyes widened as he realized he had said all of that out loud. He brought a trembling hand upward, pressing his knuckles against his lips. He squeezed his eyes shut. He wished he was alone in his room so he could properly scream into his pillow and have a mental breakdown in peace.

Gentle, calloused fingers wrapped around his wrist. His eyes snapped open to see Ryuji grabbing both of his shaking hands and holding them within his own.

“Akira,” he said, voice painfully understanding, “you gotta remember to breathe, man.”

Akira took a few deep breaths.

“I used to freak out too, when my dad first left. I kept thinkin’ he was gonna come back, y’know? My hands would shake too. My mom would hold them like this, and I’d feel better. You good now?”

Akira nodded. Ryuji pulled his hands away.

“You can always talk to me, bro. I ain’t good with words but I kinda get it. Sometimes words don’t do shit anyway.”

Akira laughed. They sat in silence for a moment.

“Hey Ryuji?”

“Hmm?”

“This is entirely platonic.”

“Huh?” Ryuji asked. Akira leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

Ryuji spluttered. “Dude! What the hell?”

“Just my way of saying thanks. And that I don’t deserve you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Akira smiled at him. “That you’re a good friend, Ryuji. We should go. It’s getting late.”

Ryuji’s cheeks were still red as they left the ramen shop. Akira felt lighter than he had in a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've always been physically comfortable with my friends. Hand holding, hugging, cheek kisses are all things that happened between me and my friends pretty regularly. So yes, the physical affection shown between people in this fic is all meant to be platonic. I do intend to keep it gen.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two days after the Phantom Thieves had stolen his heart, Okumura confessed.
> 
> Akira had felt the anxiety that had been buzzing underneath his skin dissolve as he watched the confession playing on the TV in Leblanc.
> 
> No choked sounds of pain, no black liquid pouring from his eyes and bubbling from his mouth – Goro Akechi had not murdered Kunikazu Okumura in this timeline.
> 
> The world shifted beneath Akira’s feet and he placed a hand against the counter to steady himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Hope you're doing well. Sorry about the delay - last weekend I was on a much needed vacation. But I'm back and eating terrible instant ramen as I type this. It feels like the world has erupted into even _more_ chaos since I last updated. 2020 is just the gift that keeps on giving. I hope I provide you all with a bit of respite from everything that's going on with this chapter. Enjoy!

Two days after the Phantom Thieves had stolen his heart, Okumura confessed.

Akira had felt the anxiety that had been buzzing underneath his skin dissolve as he watched the confession playing on the TV in Leblanc.

No choked sounds of pain, no black liquid pouring from his eyes and bubbling from his mouth – Goro Akechi had not murdered Kunikazu Okumura in this timeline.

The world shifted beneath Akira’s feet and he placed a hand against the counter to steady himself.

“Woah kid. You alright?” Sojiro asked, but his voice sounded as if he had spoken underwater.

Akira gave himself a moment to regain his composure. Sojiro glanced at the TV. His expression changed as understanding dawned on him.

“Hold on. That new girl that’s joined your little posse – isn’t her name Okumura?”

That made Akira get his shit together faster than if someone had dumped a bucket of ice down his back.

_Stop it, Sojiro. You’re supposed to be oblivious._

“Yeah. She’s terrifying,” said Akira.

Sojiro gave a surprised laugh. “I thought she was a total sweetheart.”

“Oh she is. That’s why she’s terrifying.”

Amusement danced in Sojiro’s eyes. “Sure kid, whatever you say.”

Akira’s phone buzzed in his pocket.

**_Private Message_ **

**_2:03 PM_ **

_Alibaba: I see you’ve been busy._

Akira grinned.

_Oh hey, Futaba. Took you long enough._

“What’s with that smirk on your face?” Sojiro asked.

“Oh nothing. A friend finally got back to me, is all.”

Akira climbed up the stairs to the attic. Morgana perked up when he heard Akira approach.

“What is it?”

“Alibaba finally texted me again.”

Morgana’s eyes widened. “Let me see!”

Akira sat down on the bed and Morgana found his usual perch on his shoulder.

**_Private Message_ **

**_2:06 PM_ **

_Joker: Something like that._

_Alibaba: Are you ignoring my request?_

_Alibaba: My threats were not empty._

_Joker: Not at all._

_Joker: We just had to finish up a job we already were working on._

_Alibaba: Good._

_Alibaba: Now steal their heart._

_Joker: We need a name._

_Alibaba: You need my name?_

_Joker: We can’t steal a heart without the person’s name._

_Alibaba: Oh._

_Alibaba: I see._

_Joker: Well?_

_Alibaba: The person whose heart I want you to steal…_

_Alibaba: Their name is Futaba Sakura._

Morgana gasped. “Hey! Isn’t that Boss’ last name?”

“Yeah it is,” said Akira.

**_Private Message_ **

**_2:08 PM_ **

_Joker: How do you know Futaba Sakura?_

**_[Error: Message could not be sent.]_ **

Akira was once again, kicked from the chat.

“Damn!” Morgana hissed. “We need to figure out who this person is. If they truly know your identities, then things can get bad.”

“Agreed,” said Akira. He stood up, jostling Morgana and forcing him to jump off his shoulder.

“What are you going to do?” Morgana asked.

Akira stretched his arms above his head, arching his back. A few of his joints popped. “Try and figure out the best way to ask Sojiro about Futaba Sakura.”

Morgana wrinkled his nose at the sound. “That’s really gross.”

“Thanks,” said Akira.

“You really think they’re related?” asked Morgana.

Akira shrugged. “It’d be one hell of a coincidence if they weren’t.”

* * *

“You _still_ haven’t asked Boss?” Ryuji asked from his position sprawled out on Akira’s bed. Ann sat on his legs, making him squawk in indignation.

“Hey! Have some tact!” she chided.

“Yeah, Ryuji. You try asking him something you know he doesn’t want to tell you about,” Akira grumbled. “I feel like he’ll kick me out.”

“He won’t kick you out,” said Makoto. She rolled her eyes, but she didn’t sound too sure either.

“You can stay with me if he kicks you out,” said Ryuji.

“What about me?” Morgana asked.

“You can stay with me, Mona-chan,” said Haru.

Akira groaned. “Are we seriously entertaining this idea?”

Yusuke frowned. “I disagree with you, Akira. He welcomed me even though he did not know me. He won’t kick you out. There’s a better chance of him simply pretending that you don’t exist for the remainder of the year.”

“That really doesn’t make me feel any better.”

Akira’s phone buzzed. Everyone froze.

“Check it!” Morgana hissed.

Akira checked his messages.

**_Private Message_ **

**_3:09 PM_ **

_Alibaba: Why haven’t you done it yet?_

_Alibaba: I gave you their name._

“Seriously?! This is for real?” asked Ryuji.

“What? Did you think this was some elaborate prank?” Akira asked.

Ann leaned over his shoulder to get a better view of the texts. “What are you gonna say back?”

**Private Message**

**_3:10 PM_ **

_Joker: We need to talk to Futaba Sakura._

_Alibaba: What?_

_Joker: We need to talk to her so we can successfully complete your request._

_Alibaba: You need to…_

_Alibaba: I see._

_Alibaba: This won’t work._

_Alibaba: I’m calling this off._

_Alibaba: Don’t worry about this anymore._

_Alibaba: I won’t reveal you identities to the police._

_Alibaba: Sorry for wasting your time._

_Joker: Wait._

**_[Error: Message could not be sent.]_ **

****

“Holy shit! They really did kick you from the chatroom!" said Ryuji.

“It seems like they don’t want us to talk to Futaba,” said Haru.

“No kiddin’,” said Ryuji.

They all stared at Akira’s phone for a moment.

Ann frowned. “Is that really it then?”

Akira hummed. “Something about this is bothering me.”

“What do you mean?” Yusuke asked.

“When I asked Alibaba for a name, they asked me if I needed _their_ name.”

“Huh?” asked Ryuji.

Makoto put a hand to her chin. “I think I see what you mean. What did they say exactly?”

“They referred to themself using the word ‘my’.” Akira told her.

“I see,” said Makoto. “Yes, I agree with you. Your judgement is usually accurate, and it does strike me a bit odd as well.”

“Can somebody tell me what the hell is going on?” asked Ryuji.

“I believe I’m catching on as well,” said Yusuke. “You believe that Futaba Sakura and Alibaba are one and the same.”

“What?!” said Ryuji and Ann at the same time. Their expressions were identical. Akira had to laugh.

“If Futaba and Alibaba really are the same person,” said Haru, “then why would she want us to target her?”

Morgana looked at Akira. “You need to talk to Boss.”

Akira groaned.

* * *

“I need a bath,” said Akira, staring up at the ceiling.

Morgana sniffed and wrinkled his nose. “You do.”

He did not move from his place on Akira’s chest.

“I can’t breathe when you lay on me like that.”

Morgana scoffed. “You’re talking just fine. Go to the bathhouse. Your hair is greasy.”

“I can’t move if you don’t get off of me.”

“Ugh. Fine.” Morgana hopped off of Akira, digging his back paws into Akira’s stomach in the process. Akira grunted in displeasure.

He rolled out of bed and shoved a change of clothes into his bag. He moved to pluck his glasses off his desk out of habit, before realizing he was just going to take them off anyway. He shrugged and started down the stairs.

“Wash your hair!” Morgana shouted after him.

“Okay, _Mom_ ,” Akira called back. He left Morgana spluttering in his room.

On the way out the door, Akira tripped over a box. He muttered a curse under his breath and bent down to pick it up. He paused when he saw the name printed on the label.

Huh. It must’ve been shipped to the wrong address.

Akira got an idea.

* * *

Sojiro Sakura walked into Leblanc to find Akira sitting in a booth, staring at a slightly dented cardboard box that was placed on the table in front of him. His glasses were missing, and his hair was unfortunately still in need of a wash.

“What are you doing?” Sojiro asked, a bemused expression on his face.

“Who’s Futaba Sakura?” Akira asked.

Sojiro’s eyes widened. “Where the hell did you get that name?”

Akira pointed to the box. Sojiro snatched off the table. He swore when he read the label.

“Is she your daughter or something?”

“Stop asking questions!” Sojiro snapped.

Akira closed his mouth.

Sojiro pinched the bridge of his nose. “Just… go to your room or something.”

“I actually need to shower.”

“Then go to the damn bathhouse!”

“Right,” said Akira. He grabbed his bag and hurried past Sojiro, who looked like he was about to have a stroke.

Sojiro looked up when he heard the bell on the door chime, signaling that Akira had left. He made eye contact with the kid’s cat, who was sitting at the bottom of the stairs. His blue eyes were far too intelligent for an animal’s.

“The hell are you looking at?” Sojiro griped. Morgana blinked at him, before whisking around and trotting up the stairs.

* * *

**_The Phantom Thieves_ **

**_11:57 AM_ **

_Joker: asking sojiro about futaba sakura did not go well_

_Skull: so he knows her?_

_Joker: definitely_

_Joker: she lives in his house_

_Queen: How did you find that out?_

_Joker: a package for her showed up at leblanc_

_Joker: i tripped over it on my way to the bathhouse_

_Panther: who do you think she is?_

_Joker: i asked him if she was his daughter and he flipped his shit_

_Fox: Wouldn’t you know if he had a daughter?_

_Joker: you would think so, right?_

_Joker: i haven’t stepped foot into his house_

_Noir: Not even once?_

_Joker: nope_

_Skull: that’s kinda weird_

_Panther: that’s VERY weird_

_Fox: That is indeed suspicious._

_Queen: Do you think he could be hiding Futaba from you?_

_Joker: if she lives in his house he’d have no problem doing so_

_Joker: he did not like it when i asked about her_

_Joker: i’m guessing that yeah he is_

_Noir: I wonder why._

_Fox: I am curious as well._

_Joker: maybe i should break into his house_

_Skull: oh i’ll help_

_Noir: Oh me too!_

_Queen: We will not be breaking into Sakura-san’s house._

_Panther: …_

_Panther: i agree with queen_

_Joker: you guys are no fun_

* * *

The next day when Akira found another box that was supposed to be mailed to Futaba, he got another idea along with it.

“Come on, Morgana,” Akira said. “We’re going to go meet Futaba.”

“Seriously?” Morgana asked. But despite all the skepticism in his voice, he jumped into Akira’s bag.

“We got another package for her. Sojiro isn’t here so I can’t send it home with him.”

“If Boss finds out he might actually kick you out,” Morgana cautioned.

Akira picked up the box with a grunt. It was somewhat heavy. “It’ll be fine.”

Akira fumbled with the door handle for a few seconds before managing to turn it. He pushed it open with his shoulder.

“How did so many things get sent to the wrong address?” Morgana asked as they walked down the street.

“No idea. Maybe she ordered a bunch of things at once,” said Akira. Sweat was beginning to bead on his forehead. It was _hot_ , and the box was getting heavier by the second.

Morgana noticed his strain. “Is it heavy?”

“Sort of,” said Akira. “Things like this make me glad I actually take the time to work out with Ryuji.”

“What about in the Metaverse?” Morgana asked.

“I don’t really use it in the Metaverse. It’s not like I get up close and personal with the Shadows. I sort of just stand at a distance and shoot them.”

“But you keep up really well despite not having a Persona,” said Morgana. “And you do more than you think. I can distinctly recall you stabbing one before it could get the drop on Yusuke.”

“I guess,” said Akira. He turned the corner onto the street with Sojiro’s house. His arms were beginning to burn.

They walked the rest of the way in silence. Well, Akira walked. Morgana got a free ride.

Akira lowered the box down to the ground in front of the Sakura household’s front door. He took a moment to shake out his wrists. Then he leaned forward and rang the doorbell.

No one answered.

Akira rang the doorbell again. “Sojiro?” he called. “Are you home.”

Still no answer. Akira tried the doorknob. It was unlocked. Akira and Morgana exchanged a glance.

“Makoto told you no breaking in,” Morgana reminded him.

“As much as I love Makoto, she’s not my mom.” Akira turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. He stuck his head inside.

“Futaba Sakura?” he called into an empty hallway. “I have a box that says your name on it.”

Akira heard the patter of footsteps. A flash of bright orange hair darted through the hallway and up the stairs. Distantly, he heard a door slam.

“Was that her?” Morgana asked.

Akira only shrugged. He picked up the box and stepped inside.

“Pardon the intrusion,” he said as he crossed the threshold.

“You’re really going to break in?”

“This isn’t breaking and entering,” Akira retorted. “There was no breaking involved. I’m only entering.”

Morgana sighed. “Fine. Just be quick. We don’t know when Boss will get home.”

Akira set the box down inside the hallway. Then he climbed up the stairs. Morgana shifted nervously in his bag. Akira paused in front of her door.

“You think this is her room?” Morgana asked.

Akira knocked on the door. “Futaba?” he asked voice soft. “Are you in there?”

He heard someone move around behind the door, but she didn’t answer.

Akira changed tactics. “Are you Alibaba? Are you the one who’s been texting me?”

For a moment nothing happened. Akira was about to try again when his phone in his pocket buzzed.

**_Private Message_ **

**_3:42 PM_ **

_Alibaba: What are you doing here!?_

_Joker: Trying to get answers._

_Joker: You are Futaba Sakura, correct?_   
  


**_Alibaba is typing…_ **

_Joker: I think we can help you._

_Joker: If you want us to._

_Alibaba: Yes._

_Alibaba: I’m Futaba._

_Joker: Do you still want our help?_

_Alibaba: …_

_Alibaba: Yes._

_Joker: Can you leave this chatroom up?_

_Joker: You don’t need to speak to us verbally, but being able to communicate with you would help._

_Alibaba: Okay._

_Joker: Thank you._

“Woah,” said Morgana. “You were right.”

“Of course I was,” said Akira, voice smug.

Morgana rolled his eyes.

“We need to tell the others,” said Akira.

“Yeah. We need them to check if she has a Palace,” said Morgana.

Akira nodded. He hurried down the stairs. When he reached the bottom, he noticed the doorknob was turning. Before he could react, the door opened. Akira froze like a deer in the headlights.

For a moment, neither of them said anything. They both just stared at each other.

Finally, Sojiro broke the silence. “Akira? What the hell are you doing in my house?”

Akira’s usually smooth tongue betrayed him. “Umm. Well- I just- the box.”

“What box?” Sojiro asked.

Akira pointed wordlessly to the box that still sat in the middle of the hallway.

Sojiro sighed. “Another box for Futaba showed up at Leblanc?”

Akira nodded. “I came here to drop it off. The door was open, so I checked to make sure no one had broken in or…” he trailed off.

“Did you see her?” Sojiro asked.

“… Yeah. I did.”

“Did you talk to her?”

For a moment Akira considered telling him the truth. He thought about showing Sojiro the texts. But then he’d have to explain the Phantom Thieves, and he didn’t know how lenient Sojiro would be if Akira openly admitted to being part of a group of vigilantes.

“No,” said Akira.

Sojiro sighed again. “Alright. Come with me back to Leblanc. I’ll tell you about Futaba. I should’ve told you a while ago.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #AKIRA: it's not illegal if i don't have to pick the lock

**Author's Note:**

>  **TW: Depictions of Violence, Attempted Sexual Assault, Mentions of Past Rape/Non-Con, Physical Assault, Panic/Anxiety Attacks, Nightmares, Suicidal Ideation**  
>  There may be more that I missed. Please let me know if you catch anything else you believe should have a warning.
> 
> I currently have thirty chapters finished, edited, and mostly ready to post. I'll do my best to keep updating as consistent as possible.
> 
> Comments and kudos are always appreciated. Thanks for reading :)


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